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20  CENTS 


SPECTATOR 


Every  Other  Week 


Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 


Fourteenth  Year 


Los  Angeles,  California — April  29,  1939 


Vol.  14— No.  2 


F 


ditor  Discusses  Relative  Box- 
Office  Value  of  Love  and  Ad- 
miration as  Star  Assets  . . . . 
Advises  Film  Industry  to  Make 
Real  Motion  Picture  as  an  Ex- 
periment . . . Dr.  Ussher  Dis- 
cusses "Man  of  Conquest"  Music 
. . . Same  Picture  Analysed  also 
for  Study  . . . Spectator's  New 
Format  Praised. 


REVIEWED 
See  Page  8 


Sorority  House  • Calling  Dr.  Kildare 
Stolen  Life  • Big  Town  Czar 

The  Return  of  the  Cisco  Kid  ® 


The  Hardys  Ride  High 
• Blind  Alley 

The  Lady's  From  Kentucky 


HOI 

years.  $8 ; 

PAGE 


Ten  To 
One  • • • 

_/"\.mong  the  Spectator's  paid  sub- 
scribers  are  more  schools,  colleges 
and  libraries  than  any  other  film 
publication  in  the  United  States  can 
show,  and  more  than  ten  times  the 
combined  such  circulation  of  all  the 
other  film  papers  published  in 
Hollywood. 


>f 


LYWOOD  SPECTATOR,  published  bi-weekly  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spectator  Co..  6513  Hollywood  Blvd. ; phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price.  $5  the  year;  two 
foreign  $6.  Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter,  September  23.  1938.  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3.  1879. 

TWO  HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


"//tom,  the 

EDITORS  EflSV  CHAIR 


Sunday  Afternoon 
And  An  Actor 

OUR  Sunday  afternoon  guests  were  one  of  the  really 
great  screen  actors  and  his  wife.  He  came  to  pictures 
from  the  stage  upon  which  he  had  been  a brilliant  suc- 
cess, and  has  made  himself  notable  among  those  appear- 
ing on  the  screen.  He  is  a delightful  companion,  has  an 
engaging  personality  and  a lazy-drawlish  way  of  talking 
that  is  part  of  it.  His  pictures  are  cinematic  events;  his 
performances  always  are  awarded  the  praise  of  critics. 
While  we  sat  in  the  shade  of  a locust  tree,  smoking  our 
pipes  and  engaging  in  desultory  conversation,  we  ulti- 
mately, of  course— as  is  the  way  in  Hollywood — got 
around  to  motion  pictures. 

"I've  been  waitin',"  he  said,  with  the  delightful  disre- 
gard for  the  final  “g"  which  makes  his  drawl  so  musical, 
"to  tell  you  you're  all  wet  when  you  say  the  screen's  not 
an  actin'  art  and  that  it  has  nothin'  to  learn  from  the 
stage." 

While  he  rambled  on  and  I occasionally  put  in  my  bit 
of  contrary  argument,  the  thought  came  to  me  that  if  he 
could  give  as  perfect  a screen  performance  in  a picture 
as  he  was  giving  on  my  lawn,  he  would  be  much  nearer 
than  he  is  to  the  top  of  the  film  box-office  list. 

His  Greatest  Performance 

<1  My  friend  is  one  of  those  whose  bank  account  is  fat- 
tened by  Hollywood,  but  whose  heart  belongs  to  Broad- 
way. I charge  him  with  it  and  he  amiably  agrees  with 
me.  He — as  I have  said — is  recognized  as  a great  screen 
actor,  yet  on  the  box-office  list  his  name  is  far  below 
those  of  Shirley  Temple,  Mickey  Rooney,  Jane  Withers 
and  many  more  who  never  saw  the  up-stage  side  of  the- 
atre footlights.  And  the  reason  is  that  each  of  them  gives 
on  the  screen  exactly  the  kind  of  performance  my  friend 
was  giving  on  my  lawn  and  never  gives  on  the  screen. 
On  the  lawn  he  was  completely  natural.  On  the  screen 
he  is  a stage  actor. 

His  stage  diction,  which  he  brings  to  the  screen  to- 
gether with  the  gestures  and  grace  of  movement  the  stage 
has  taught  him,  has  careful  regard  for  every  "g"  and  pre- 
cise enunciation  of  every  syllable.  Such  stage  technique, 
however,  was  not  developed  to  make  stage  dialogue 
pleasant  to  listen  to.  The  reason  was  a more  practical 
one;  to  make  it  possible  for  the  audience  to  hear  stage 
dialogue. 

Master  of  Stage  Technique 

<1  If  my  friend  had  dropped  his  ”g's"  on  the  stage  as  he 
did  on  my  lawn,  if  he  had  spoken  on  the  stage  in  the 
same  lazy  drawl,  only  the  people  in  a few  front  rows 
could  have  understood  what  he  was  saying.  It  was  the 
necessity  for  projecting  the  voice  which  made  precise 
enunciation  an  essential  element  of  stage  technique, 
enunciation  which  is  the  hall-mark  of  the  actor.  It  is  my 
friend's  mastery  of  the  art  of  the  stage  which  makes  his 
fans  so  loyal  to  him,  but  Shirley  Temple,  Mickey  Rooney 
and  Jane  Withers  have  individual  armies  of  fans,  each 
of  which  greatly  outnumbers  the  famous  actor's. 

The  famous  actor  expresses  on  the  screen  his  mastery 
of  the  technique  he  learned  on  the  stage.  There  he 


teamed  how  to  project  sorrow  to  his  audience,  to  make 
his  audience  believe  he  really  felt  it,  and  the  audience 
was  too  far  from  him  to  see  if  it  were  reflected  in  his  eyes, 
the  windows  through  which  we  see  inward  emotions. 
When  Shirley  Temple  feels  sorrow,  she  feels  it  and  lets 
the  camera  make  us  aware  of  it. 

Love  and  Admiration 

^J  We  know  Shirley  and  Jane  and  Mickey.  The  public 
does  not  know  the  famous  actor.  I have  discussed  him 
too  frankly  to  tell  you  who  he  is,  but  if  any  of  his  fans 
who  admire  him  as  an  artist  had  seen  him  rolling  on  our 
lawn,  wrestling  with  my  delighted  Spaniel,  they  probably 
would  have  concluded  that  he  was  drunk;  his  actions 
being  so  foreign  to  the  impression  he  conveys  on  the 
screen,  no  other  conclusion  would  seem  reasonable.  The 
public  loves  Shirley.  It  admires  my  friend.  And  figures 
show  that  love  has  greater  box-office  value  than  ad- 
miration. 

Yet  a heading  in  the  Examiner  this  morning  reads, 
"Metro  Seeking  Orson  Welles  for  Role  of  Dictator  Wind- 
rip."  And  only  yesterday  the  same  paper  told  us  that 
Metro's  chief  executives  were  concerned  greatly  over 
dwindling  box-office  receipts.  No  doubt  a picture  in 
which  Welles  appears  would  be  a great  artistic  success, 
but  it  still  would  be  up  to  Mickey  Rooney  to  bring  home 
the  bacon.  Metro  is  catering  to  a motion  picture  market, 
and  a photograph  of  stage  technique  is  not  a motion 
picture. 

★ ★ ★ 

Why  Not  Experiment? 

E WERE  told  in  a recent  radio  broadcast  how  many 
millions  of  dollars  automobile  manufacturers  spent  in 
experiments  to  develope  an  unbreakable  glass.  Another 
broadcast  told  of  the  enormous  sums  spent  by  General 
Electric  in  efforts  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  its  lamps. 
All  industrial  progress  has  been  the  product  of  long  and 
expensive  experimentation.  The  film  industry  is  the  only 
one  in  the  country  which  does  not  make  experiments.  It 
originated  neither  the  sound  device  nor  the  improvements 
which  have  brought  it  to  its  present  stage  of  perfection. 
Its  cameras  and  its  lighting  equipment  are  products  of 
concerns  outside  the  industry.  The  prevailing  lassitude 
of  film  box-offices  would  seem  to  point  to  the  present  as  a 
time  when  it  would  be  wise  for  the  industry  to  risk  a little 
money  in  making  an  experiment  which  possibly  would 
result  in  restoring  vigor  to  box-offices.  Any  student  of 
the  screen  knows  it  is  an  art  form  which,  if  it  is  to  be 
true  to  itself,  must  express  itself  in  visual  terms.  Any 
student  of  the  art  knows  the  industry's  customers  will  be 
satisfied  with  less  than  perfection,  that  it  will  accept  the 
alien  element  of  spoken  lines  to  expedite  the  telling  of  the 
stories  it  pays  to  see.  The  same  student  will  tell  you  pre- 
vailing unsatisfactory  box-office  conditions  are  due  to  the 
overdose  of  dialogue  the  public  is  getting. 

Make  Real  Motion  Picture 

<jj  What  seems  the  wise  thing  for  the  film  industry  to  do 
now  is  to  spend  a little  money  in  making  an  experiment. 

I know  it  will  terrify  the  bravest  producer  to  suggest  he 
should  make  a real  motion  picture  and  try  it  on  the  pub- 
lic, but  that  is  precisely  what  I suggest.  The  only  idea 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  THREE 


developed  within  the  industry  to  stimulate  box-cilice  re- 
ceipts— the  movie  quizz  contest — having  proved  a mag- 
nificent bust,  it  might  be  wise  for  it  to  accept  a sugges- 
tion from  the  outside.  If  one  producing  organization  is  not 
brave  enough  to  try  the  suggestion  the  Spectator  ad- 
vances, no  doubt  all  the  others  could  be  persuaded  to 
chip  in  until  the  production  kitty  became  big  enough  to 
bear  the  cost  of  making  just  one  picture  that  would  be 
as  true  as  is  practical  to  its  art  medium,  which  would  say 
more  with  its  camera  and  less  with  the  microphone,  and 
in  a large  measure  restore  to  the  film  theatre  the  peace 
and  quiet  which  built  the  foundation  upon  which  the 
entire  industry  now  rests.  The  two  billion  dollars  which 
rests  on  the  foundation  could  be  made  secure  by  under- 
pinning it  with  the  kind  of  product  the  industry  will  make 
when  it  acquires  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  the  business 
it  is  supposed  to  be  in. 

★ ★ ★ 

Can  Do  Nothing  About  It 

HILE  the  Spectator  has  no  apologies  to  make  for  any 
opinion  it  expresses  and  will  stand  staunchly  behind 
any  statement  it  makes,  it  can  go  no  farther  than  that  in 
assuming  responsibility  for  the  effect  of  its  utterances.  I 
am  impelled  to  make  such  statement  because  of  the 
alarming  possibilities  suggested  by  a message  the  mail- 
man brings  me  in  the  handwriting  of  an  Oakland,  Cali- 
fornia, subscriber,  Barbara  L.  Bowman.  It  says,  "The 
Spectator  has  just  arrived,  and  as  usual  I am  reading  it 
instead  of  washing  the  breakfast  dishes."  If  the  writer  is 
a Miss,  living  alone,  there  is  no  menace  for  the  Spectator 
personnel  in  her  neglect  of  her  household  duties,  but  if 
married,  and  perhaps  to  a fussy  husband  who  can  de- 
rive no  esthetic  pleasure  from  gazing  on  a pile  of  un- 
washed dishes,  1 wish  to  assure  him  the  situation  is  one 
he  will  have  to  handle  himself  without  dragging  the 
Spectator  into  it.  This  paper  regards  itself  as  a crusader 
in  a noble  cause,  and  it  cannot  be  swerved  from  its  pur- 
pose by  thoughts  of  egg  stains  hardening  and  marmal- 
ade congealing  on  dishes  which  need  washing. 

★ ★ ★ 

Fame  That  Jack  Built 

ETRO  has  made  a discovery.  It  has  put  Jack  Mulhall 
under  contract.  A decade  ago  Jack  was  a reigning 
favorite.  He  never  lost  the  quality  which  made  him  popu- 
lar, but  got  trampled  underfoot  in  the  screen's  mad  rush 
for  stage  talent  when  pictures  began  to  talk,  a folly  for 
which  it  now  is  paying  in  the  form  of  constantly  lessening 
box-office  receipts.  There  are  other  Jack  Mulhalls  scat- 
tered through  Hollywood,  half  of  them  women,  and:  it 
would  pay  all  the  studios  to  do  some  discovering. 

* ★ ★ 

Ray  Golden  Wanted  to  See  It 

RARE  theatrical  treat  was  provided  when  Ray  Golden 
and  Everett  Weil  presented  "Our  Town"  at  Biltmore 
Theatre.  It  was  daring  of  Thornton  Wilder  to  take  such  a 
revolutionary  step  in  dramatic  writing,  and  much  to  the 
credit  of  Jed  Harris  to  give  it  a New  York  production. 
How  the  play  happened  to  get  a Los  Angeles  showing  is 
an  interesting  story.  When  Jed  Harris  was  out  here  re- 
cently, Ray  Golden  urged  the  New  York  producer  to  send 
us  the  play,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  he,  Ray, 
wanted  to  see  it  and  did  not  have  time  to  go  to  New 
York.  "Well,"  said  Jed,  "bring  it  out  yourself  and  have  a 
look  at  it."  And  that  is  what  Ray  did.  "Our  Town"  is  one 
greatly  human  document  I hope  no  picture  producer  will 
bring  to  the  screen.  The  fine  fabric  which  Wilder  fash- 
ioned would  have  to  be  tortured  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  camera  for  visual  attractiveness.  It  is  a play  which 
belongs  solely  to  the  stage.  However,  it  introduces  to  us 
in  Martha  Scott  a talented  and  beautiful  girl  with  great 
screen  possibilities.  And  it  reminds  us  that  we  would 


like  to  see  more  frequent  appearances  in  pictures  of 
Frank  Craven  and  Ann  Shoemaker,  both  of  whom  give 
superlative  performances  in  the  play. 

★ ★ ★ 

To  Tell  Secret  of  Getting  In 

SEEMS  the  public  is  becoming  conscious  that  the  film 
industry  offers  careers  in  something  besides  acting. 
The  Spectator  always  had  had  plenty  of  mail  asking  it 
how  the  writers  can  get  a chance  to  start  acting  careers, 
but  for  the  last  year  it  has  received  a steadily  increasing 
number  of  requests  for  information  about  other  openings. 
Some  women  have  asked  how  they  can  get  work  in 
studios  as  designers  of  gowns  for  the  stars,  and  one  San 
Francisco  woman  asks  how  she  can  get  started  on  a 
career  as  a film  editor.  We  have  heard  from  men  who 
want  to  be  art  directors,  cameramen,  assistant  directors, 
sound  recorders,  casting  directors,  still  photographers, 
but,  of  course,  most  of  those  who  write  us  want  to  direct 
pictures.  It  has  been  our  practice  to  answer  personally 
all  such  inquiries.  But  we  have  thought  of  a new  plan. 
We  do  not  know  what  one  should  do  to  get  a job  in  pic- 
tures, but  we  can  tell  our  readers  how  others  got  started, 
and  that  is  what  we  intend  to  do.  Our  chunky  Robert 
Watson  is  buzzing  around  interviewing  people  who  now 
have  jobs,  directors,  writers,  technicians,  cameramen. 
One  man,  for  instance,  owes  a good  job  in  pictures  to 

★ * ★ 

the  fact  that  in  Texas  at  one  time  he  slept  with  a cobra 
to  keep  it  warm.  I think  he  is  the  only  one  who  got  in 
that  way.  However,  beginning  in  the  next  Spectator  we 
will  publish  a series  of  How-I-Got-Ins  which  should  be 
interesting. 

Less  Talk,  More  News 

ADIO  broadcasting  could  do  with  a little  more  show- 
manship. My  pet  peeve  now  is  the  manner  in  which 
news  is  broadcast.  Walter  Winchell  is  the  only  one  who 
seems  to  know  how  a radio  commentator  should  operate. 
He  gets  the  greatest  possible  number  of  news  items  into 
the  time  allowed  him,  consequently  he  has  the  greatest 
audience.  He  skims  over  the  news,  recently  including 
twenty-seven  items  in  his  broadcast.  I checked  one  of 
Pat  Bishop's  turns  on  the  air.  In  a longer  net  time  than  is 
ing  us  the  full  names  and  titles  of  law  officers  who 
accorded  Winchell,  Pat  presented  eight  news  items,  in  one 
instance  carrying  his  love  for  detail  to  the  extent  of  giv- 
crrrested  an  uninteresting  criminal  in  an  eastern  city.  All 
the  other  local  news  commentators  have  the  same  weak- 
ness. That  is  why  Walter  Winchell  comes  as  a relief  on 
Sunday  nights. 

* * * 

La  Hepburn  a Hit 

OUR  little  Katy  Hepburn  has  made  the  East  sit  up  and 
take  notice.  She  was  not  an  outstanding  success  on 
the  screen,  but  each  of  her  appearances  made  one  feel 
she  had  the  stuff  it  takes  and  would  be  a success  if  only 
she  could  overcome  whatever  it  was  that  was  barring 
her  progress.  Her  career  on  the  stage  was  much  the 
same,  criticisms  of  her  performances  being  more  adverse 
than  favorable.  But  at  last  she  has  made  a real  hit  and 
no  doubt  before  long  will  be  back  in  Hollywood  again.  I 
quote  from  Stage,  the  excellent  New  York  magazine 
which  for  years  had  been  a monthly  and  now  appears 
twice  a month: 

"To  Miss  Hepburn  the  theatre  should  give  the  special 
wreath  of  absolution  that  it  reserves  for  actors  who  re- 
deem themselves  nobly.  There  is  nothing,  in  fact,  that 
could  be  said  against  her  performance  in  The  Phila- 
delphia Story.'  It  is  extremely  sincere  and  fresh  and 
lovely.  It  has  none  of  the  monotony  and  none  of  the 
equine  mannerisms  that  have  annoyed  her  detractors. 
Of  course  she  still  speaks  with  her  particular  brand  of 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Bryn  Mawr  Cockney,  but  it  is  both  charming  and  appro- 
priate. Costumed  by  Valentina  in  all  manner  of  brilliant 
and  flowing  elegance,  she  is. lithe,  and  very  desirable. 
And  it  should  be  evident — if  it  hasn't'  been  evident  before 
— that  she  has  a fine,  beautiful  face  for  the  theatre;  a 
strong  face,  quite  unlike  any  other,  which  can  hold  its 
own  against  the  footlights."" 

* * ' 

Less  Hopping  About,  Please 

HEN  dialogue  is  carrying  the  story,  there  should  be  as 
little  visual  distraction  as  possible.  Nearly  all  our 
directors  confuse  physical  and  filmic  motion.  It  is  the  lat- 
ter, not  the  former,  which  is  the  life-blood  of  a screen 
creation.  When  two  characters  are  reading  lines  which 
carry  the  story,  the  majority  of  directors  think  they  are 
infusing  action  in  the  scene  by  having  their  players  move 
about  the  room,  sit  for  a moment  in  a chair,  change  to 
another.  Such  movement  in  reality  impedes  action  by 
diverting  audience  attention  from  what  the  characters  are 
saying  to  what  they  are  doing.  The  only  excuse  for  such 
dialogue  passages  is  the  fact  of  their  carrying  the  story, 
that  through  them  runs  the  filmic  motion  which  always 
should  preserve  an  unbroken  thread  from  the  first  fade-in 
to  the  final  fade-out.  Hollywood's  greatest  need  is  a 
school  to  teach  producers,  writers  and  directors  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  medium  in  which  they  work. 
No  director  who  knows  what  filmic  motion  is,  would  per- 
mit one  of  his  players  to  bob  up  and  down  when  deliver- 
ing a speech  which  should  engage  the  full  attention  of 
the  audience.  And  no  one  in  the  audience  would  notice 
the  lack  of  physical  action  or  consider  the  scene  flat  when 
his  mind  was  on  the  import  of  the  speech. 

★ ★ * 

Getting  Too  Much  of  It 

OVERINDULGENCE  in  a good  thing  is  an  established  pic- 
ture producer  habit.  At  present  the  screen  is  resorting 
too  frequently  to  "double  take"  technique,  that  of  a 
character  taking  some  time  to  get  the  import  of  a speech 
or  a situation.  It  is  good  comedy  technique,  but,  like 
everything  else,  it  can  be  overdone. 

* ★ * 

Where  to  Look  for  It 

HOLLYWOOD  despatch  in  variety  (New  York)  opens 
with  this  paragraph:  "Talent  for  Hollywood  is  where 
you  find  it.  This  is  the  consensus  of  talent  scouts,  casting 
directors,  producers,  and  executives  on  the  various  lots. 
Recapitulation  on  new  talent  for  the  past  year  shows  that 
around  75%  of  the  players  are  brought  here  from  the  pro- 
fessional stage;  20%  from  little  theatres  (which,  of  course, 
means  also  the  stage);  and  the  remainder  from  radio  and 
other  sources."  When  all  other  fields  are  exhausted,  per- 
haps talent  scouts,  casting  directors,  producers  and  execu- 
tives will  stand  outside  the  doors  of  their  casting  depart- 
ments and  pick  their  new  talent  out  of  the  parade  of 

extras  coming  out  after  being  told  there  is  nothing  doing. 

★ ★ ★ 

No  Use  Rubbing  It  In 

ONE  of  the  funny  arguments  advanced  in  defense  of  so 
much  dialogue  in  current  pictures,  is  that  the  public 
has  been  taught  to  expect  talk.  It  also  has  been  taught 
to  expect  whooping  cough,  hurricanes  and  gangsters,  but 

would  be  better  off  if  it  could  get  less  of  them. 

* * * 

Goes  a Bit  Too  Far 

ONE  of  Jimmie  Fidler's  recent  columns  takes  screen 
players  to  task  for  avoiding  the  autograph  seekers 
who.  make  such  nuisances  of  themselves  as  preview  audi- 
ences are  filing  out  of  film  theatres.  He  cites  the  instance 
of  "two  of  the  industry's  top  stars,"  who,  "five  minutes 
before  the  screening  was  finished,  started  to  fidget.  With 


the  fine',  clinch,  they  slipped  furtively  from  their  seats, 
darted  .or  a side  exit,  made  a bee-line  for  their  car." 
Obviously  Jimmie  thinks  they  should  have  gone  out  the 
main  entrance  to  be  rushed  by  an  unruly  mob,  pushed, 
clawed,  have  their  clothes  torn — not  by  real  picture  fans, 
but  by  audacious  youngsters  who  seek  autographs  for 
the  purpose  of  selling  them.  I once  walked  out  of  a pre- 
view house  with  Barbara  Stanwyck  and  Bob  Taylor,  and 
what  happened  to  them  quite  convinced  me  they  would 
be  justified  in  arming  themselves  with  clubs  when  setting 
out  for  another  preview.  Of  course,  a writer  who  must 
turn  out  a column  every  day  can  be  excused  for  occa- 
sionally writing  rot,  but  in  this  instance  Jimmie  puts  quite 
a strain  on  the  privilege. 

* * * 

Mental  Meanderings 

ATTER  of  major  importance  at  the  moment  is  the 
flower  garden.  I am  really  excited  about  it.  Every- 
thing is  coming  along  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner, 
better  than  in  any  previous  year.  That  probably  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  we  used  fertilizer  more  generously  than 
usual  and  prepared  our  beds  farther  in  advance  of  the 
new  planting.  As  I write  this,  fertilized  pits  are  awaiting 
dahlia  bulbs,  some  choice  varieties,  which  will  be  in 
before  this  Spectator  reaches  you,  and  then  every  bed 
will  be  complete.  We  have  an  extraordinary  display  of 
blooming  carnations,  and  the  Golden  Emblem  rose,  which 
stretches  for  thirty  feet,  along  the  front  fence,  is  a mass  of 
yellow  nuggets.  But  everywhere  there  is  bloom,  and  I 
could  go  on  and  on,  but  I am  afraid  I would  bore  you. 
However,  I use  this  column  to  register  what  I think  about 
when  I am  off  shift,  so  I will  tell  you  that  I think  chiefly 
about  the  garden,  so  that's  that.  . . . But  I must  tell  you 
about  the  spinach.  Apparently  the  place  once  was  a 
vegetable  garden,  for  three  clumps  of  spinach  are  emerg- 
ing to  maturity  in  it.  I believe  in  the  live-and-let-live 
theory,  and  as  the  guest  clumps  of  spinach  are  close  to- 
gether, we  have  enclosed  them  in  a circle  of  pansies,  and 
Mrs.  Spectator  and  I tend  them  carefully  even  though 
neither  of  us  likes  spinach.  . . . Logical  Hollywood  mar- 
quee: Time  Out  for  Murder,  While  New  York  Sleeps. 
...  As  the  weather  gets  warmer,  it  takes  me  some  time 
to  get  over  the  regret  that  wood  fires  are  off  the  list  until 
next  fall.  But  we  remained  loyal  to  them  as  long  as  pos- 
sible. We  finally  gave  up  when  one  made  the  living  room 
so  hot  we  had  to  sit  outdoors.  ...  I am  having  difficulty 
in  filling  my  usual  Meandering  space  this  morning;  notes 
on  several  exceedingly  clever  things  to  say  have  gone  to 
the  laundry  in  the  pocket  of  the  sport  shirt  I was  wearing 
when  I thought  of  them.  I am  writing  in  the  garden; 
started  early,  before  the  sun  grew  warm;  now  it  is  hot 
and  I am  in  it,  and  am  determined  to  sit  right  here  until 
I reach  the  bottom  of  the  column,  even  if  I broil.  . . . 
Luckily  I was  saved  from  broiling  by  the  opportune 
arrival  of  Billy  in  distress.  Billy  is  one  of  my  best  friends 
among  those  who  live  along  our  dirt  road.  He  is  four- 
going-on-five  and  has  a wise  old  Scotch  terrier  friend  and 
constant  companion.  When  I was  submitting  myself  to  the 
broiling  process,  Billy  and  Jock  came  to  a stop  outside  the 
fence  upon  which  is  draped  the  Golden  Emblem  display 
of  gold  and  green.  They  gazed  at  the  bloom,  then  Billy, 
spying  me,  poked  his  head  through  the  fence  and  in- 
formed me  that  his  mother  liked  roses.  Since  then  I have 
been  cutting  a big  bunch,  so  big,  in  fact,  that  Billy  could 
not  manage  it,  so  he  and  I and  Jock  and  my  Spaniel  and 
Mrs.  Spectator's  Pekinese  toddled  down  the  road  to  Billy's 
house,  and  while  his  mother  and  I sat  on  the  porch  and 
talked  of  gardens,  Billy  played  with  the  dogs  until  they 
got  excited  and  started  to  fight,  at  which  time  I de- 
parted with  our  two.  And  now  I am  back  on  my  garden 
chair  which  sits  in  the  sun — and  here  is  the  end  of  the 
column. 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  FIVE 


fatten  Picture  Appreciation 


E WILL  call  the  class  to  order  and 
start  off  the  morning  with  a quar- 
rel, but  a nice,  friendly  one.  At  the  end 
of  my  review  of  the  latest  Deanna  Dur- 
bin picture  in  the  Spectator  of  April  1, 
I made  for  motion  picture  appreciation 
students  some  comments  on  the  screen 
technique  involved  in  establishing  some 
story  points.  Gladys  Christensen,  a 
teacher  in  the  Roosevelt  Junior  High 
School,  San  Francisco,  writes  me  as 
follows:  “Your  suggestion  at  the  end 

of  the  Deanna  Durbin  review  is  good. 
However,  to  extend  it  further  than  that 
is  of  doubtful  value  at  the  present  writ- 
ing. The  technique  of  the  making  of 
motion  pictures  would  fit  well  for  the 
junior  college  or  college  grade  student. 
For  the  average  high  school  or  junior 
high  school  people,  the  Spectator  is 
amply  covering  the  field  in  which  they 
are  interested.’’ 

Another  Teacher's  Opinion 
C]J  It  would  be  impracticable  for  the 
Spectator  to  conduct  two  motion  pic- 
ture appreciation  departments,  one  for 
the  junior  college  or  college  grade  stu- 
dent, another  for  the  junior  high  school 
or  the  high  school  student.  I believe, 
however,  that  the  technique  involved  in 
making  motion  pictures  can  be  discussed 
entertainingly  enough  to  interest  both 
college  and  high  school  pupils.  Sharing 
this  view  is  Lelia  Trolinger,  Bureau  of 
Visual  Instruction,  University  of  Col- 
orado. Referring  also  to  my  remarks  at 
the  end  of  my  review  of  Deanna’s  lat- 
est picture,  remarks  drawing  the  atten- 
tion of  study  groups  to  a technical 
point.  Miss  Trolinger  writes: 

“By  all  means  continue  to  add  those 
comments.  For  those  of  us  who  at- 
tempt to  teach  classes  which  include 
units  on  motion  picture  appreciation, 
any  evaluation  of  this  sort  is  very  help- 
ful. T here  are  not  enough  in  the  field 
doing  or  trying  to  do  this  sort  of  thing 
to  cause  any  danger  of  duplication.’’ 
And  Miss  Trolinger  adds  this  flatter- 
ing paragraph:  “Without  any  intent 

of  ‘apple  polishing’  or  throwing  bo- 
quets,  I wish  to  say  that  I like  your  film 
reviews  better  than  any  that  I read. 
Much  of  my  own  picture  attendance  is 
decided  by  your  reviews  and  so  far  I 
have  not  been  disappointed.’’ 

Knowledge  Is  Desirable 

<J  As  I view  the  whole  question  of  dis- 
cussing the  screen  from  an  educational 
standpoint,  the  purpose  is  not  to  pre- 
pare students  or  members  of  study 
groups  to  make  pictures.  Rather  is  it 
to  prepare  them  to  derive  greater  satis- 
faction from  viewing  them.  The  great- 
er our  knowledge  of  the  fundamentals 
of  a visual  art,  the  greater  must  be  the 


On  This  Page 

OWING  to  constantly  increasing 
circulation  of  the  Spectator  among 
educational  institutions  which  use  it 
as  an  aid  in  the  study  of  motion  pic- 
tures, an  effort  will  be  made  to  pre- 
sent in  each  issue  an  analysis  of  the 
screen  values  of  some  important  pic- 
ture which  lends  itself  to  such  treat- 
ment. Few  pictures  possess  the  quali- 
ties which  give  them  values  essential 
to  their  selection  as  subjects  for  study, 
but  there  may  be  enough  to  enable  us 
to  keep  up  the  service  without  missing 
an  issue.  The  subject  of  today's  dis- 
cussion is  Republic’s  Man  of  Con- 
quest, a picture  which  is  a fine  ex- 
ample of  the  intelligent  use  of  talkie 
technique. 


satisfaction  we  derive  from  viewing  one 
of  its  creations.  So  my  gentle  quarrel 
with  Miss  Christensen  is  based  on  my 
conviction  that  the  technicalities  of  pic- 
ture making  can  be  discussed  in  terms 
sufficiently  elemental  to  interest  high 
school  students,  and  not  too  elemental 
for  more  advanced  students  and  the 
adults  who  compose  the  many  adult 
study  groups. 

To  such  groups  and  to  educational 
institutions  are  available  perhaps  a score 
of  booklets  which  analyze  the  stories 
of  various  pictures  and  suggest  courses 
of  study  to  promote  better  understand- 
ing of  their  historical  or  literary  signifi- 
cance. I have  before  me  one  sponsored 
by  the  National  Council  of  Teachers  of 
English,  an  organization  which  takes 
active  and  intelligent  interest  in  the 
screen  as  an  educational  factor.  The 
booklet  is  termed,  “A  Guide  to  the 
Critical  Appreciation  of  the  Republic 
Photoplay  Dealing  With  the  Career  of 
Sam  Houston:  Man  of  Conquest ." 

Pay  to  See  Technique 

One  who  reads  the  booklet  and  fol- 
lows its  instructions  as  to  co-related 
reading  before  seeing  the  picture,  cer- 
tainly will  be  well  posted  on  the  his- 
torical, social  and  biographical  signifi- 
cance of  the  production:  and  if,  after 
reading  it,  he  can  answer  all  the  ques- 
tions it  asks,  as  well  as  to  do  the  fur- 
ther reading  it  recommends,  he  probab- 
ly will  be  exhausted  to  the  point  of  his 
not  desiring  to  see  another  picture  of 
the  sort  for  quite  a long  time.  Man  ot 
Conquest,  however,  is  an  important  pic- 
ture, a stirring  and  valuable  contribu- 
tion to  Americana.  But  how  many  of 
those  who  seek  it  as  entertainment  will 
undertake  the  course  of  study  regarding 
it  which  is  outlined  in  the  booklet? 


BY 

THE  EDITOR 

People  who  pay  their  way  into  film 
theatres  are  seeking  motion  pictures  as 
entertainment,  as  a retreat  from  mental 
exercise,  not  an  advance  toward  it.  It 
really  is  motion  picture  technique  they 
pay  to  see.  If  Man  of  Conquest  were 
seen  only  by  those  who  wish  to  study 
the  history  it  teaches,  it  would  not  re- 
turn to  its  makers  one  cent  on  one  dol- 
lar of  production  cost.  That  makes  it 
appear  to  me  that  the  best  approach  to 
the  desired  end  of  having  the  public 
benefit  by  absorbing  the  educational 
values  of  a picture,  is  first  to  interest 
them  in  the  picture  as  such,  to  point  out 
to  them  its  cinematic  values,  and  per- 
mit the  educational  values  to  be  a by- 
product of  their  attendance. 

Some  Man  of  Conquest  Points 

<1  The  Spectator's  conception  of  the 
meaning  of  “motion  picture  apprecia- 
tion” as  applied  to  school  and  college 
classes,  is  the  appreciation  of  pictures  as 
such  and  not  as  historical  or  social  docu- 
ments. Or  perhaps  I had  better  put  it 
this  way:  The  Spectator  will  leave  it 

to  study  groups  to  continue  their  valu- 
able work  in  connection  with  the  sub- 
ject matter  of  the  stories  which  are 
told  on  the  screen,  and  will  confine  itself 
to  the  manner  in  which  the  stories  are 
told  in  the  language  of  the  medium 
which  tells  them. 

We  will  take  Man  of  Conquest  as  a 
picture  which  well  repays  study.  From 
a technical  standpoint  it  is  as  nearly 
perfect  an  example  of  the  talkie  form 
as  the  screen  has  given  us  since  it  got  its 
tongue.  In  preparing  the  screen  play, 
the  writers  revealed  consciousness  of  the 
fact  of  the  camera’s  being  the  screen’s 
chief  story-telling  medium.  In  no  place 
in  the  picture  is  a line  of  dialogue  used 
to  express  something  the  camera  could 
express  in  visual  terms.  What  dialogue 
there  is  consists  of  short,  crisp  sentences 
except  in  scenes  in  which  characters  ad- 
dress audiences,  and  the  speeches  deliv- 
ered in  the  few  such  scenes  get  their 
value  largely  from  their  contrast  with 
the  terse  dialogue  in  all  the  other  scenes. 

Introduction  of  Characters 

•jj  When  the  main  title  fades  out,  there 
appears  on  the  screen  a statement  setting 
forth  the  theme  of  the  story  the  picture 
will  tell.  Thus  is  the  mood  set,  and 
we  are  not  taken  out  of  it  by  the  long 
list  of  credits  and  cast  names  which 
other  pictures  compel  audiences  to  sit 
through.  Man  of  Conquest  gets  right 
down  to  business  by  beginning  the  story 
and  introducing  the  man,  leaving  the 
credits  for  the  end  of  the  picture  to  al- 
low us  to  walk  out  on  them  if  they  do 
not  interest  us.  In  the  opening  sequence 
we  get  our  first  taste  of  the  clever  dia- 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Iogue  treatment  which  persists  to  the 
end.  A woman  addresses  Sam  Houston 
by  name;  he,  in  replying,  calls  her 
mother,  thus  in  a few  words  are  the  two 
characters  introduced  and  identified. 

But  it  is  necessary  we  should  know 
something  about  the  past  of  Sam  Hous- 
ton. Two  or  three  exceedingly  brief 
lines  of  dialogue  acquaint  us  with  the 
fact  of  his  love  for  the  outdoors.  A line 
which  illustrates  how  it  is  done:  (Moth- 
er speaking)  “And  who  gave  up  his 
job  as  a school  teacher  and  went  to  live 
with  the  Indians?”  Sam’s  grin  proves 
he  is  the  person.  What  a wealth  of 
background  story  there  is  in  a speech 
so  short,  and  what  a wealth  of  person- 
ality is  expressed  by  the  grin! 

Speech  As  Story  Device 

In  another  scene,  a political  speech 
by  Andrew  Jackson  sketches  the  career 
of  Houston  from  the  time  of  his  first 
appearance  to  his  becoming  governor  of 
Tennessee;  and  a series  of  montage  shots 
with  superimposed  dates  teach  us  his- 
tory of  stirring  times  more  vividly,  and 
in  a manner  to  remain  longer  in  our 
minds,  than  any  printed  history  or  pro- 
fessor of  history  possibly  could  teach 
it.  The  point  I wish  to  emphasize  is 
the  method  of  teaching,  not  what  is 
taught.  That  is  what  I would  ask  study 
groups  to  notice  when  viewing  the  pic- 
ture. 

I could  make  a long  list  of  points 
the  student  of  film  technique  should 
not  overlook.  A few  of  them:  The 

few  speeches  required  to  amplify  the 
camera’s  presentation  of  the  reasons  for 
Sam  Houston’s  bride’s  desertion  of  him: 
the  spread  of  gossip  which  follows  her 
leaving  him,  shown  by  sharp  cutting 
from  one  short  shot  to  another  until 
the  extent  of  it  is  established:  almost 
sole  reliance  on  the  camera  to  put  over 
the  completeness  and  the  duration  of 
Houston’s  drunken  debauch  following 
his  resignation  as  governor:  the  heroic 
stubbornness  of  the  defenders  of  the 
Alamo  registered  by  several  cuts  to  the 
flag  flying  so  bravely  over  it,  each  cut 
showing  the  flag  still  more  riddled  and 
torn,  but  each  showing  it  still  flying  as 
a symbol  of  the  determination  of  the 
handful  of  men  to  die,  perhaps;  to  sur- 
render, never. 

Camera  Tells  the  Romance 

Cl  Then  there  is  the  mysterious  way  in 
which  the  camera  makes  Gail  Patrick’s 
beauty  and  absorption  in  her  role  of  the 
woman  in  love  with  Houston,  come  to 
our  emotions  with  such  sudden  impact. 
This  romance,  the  second  in  Houston’s 
life,  is  left  almost  entirely  to  the  camera 
to  tell,  what  lines  there  are  spoken  serv- 
ing more  to  round  it  out  than  to  estab- 
lish it.  Notice  how  quietly  the  words 
of  love  are  uttered.  Notice  also  how 
understandingly  are  all  the  dialogue 
scenes  directed.  No  voice  is  raised  high- 
er than  the  mood  of  the  scene  demands. 


That  is  intelligent  dir.. lion,  worth  no- 
ticing only  because  it  is  so  rare. 

In  all  the  purely  physical  scenes  in 
Man  of  Conquest,  the  same  wise  reli- 
ance on  camera  is  displayed.  An  excel- 
lent example  of  intelligently  propelled 
forward  flow  of  story  is  presented  in  a 
sequence  showing  Richard  Dix  (Hous- 
ton), Gail  Patrick,  her  family,  and  a 
few  score  other  people  traveling  from 
Tennessee  to  Texas.  At  this  juncture 
of  the  story  our  interest  lies  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Gail-Dix  romance.  Together 
they  take  seats  on  top  of  a stagecoach 
and  start  the  romance  which  seems  to 
glide  along  without  interruption  as  their 
southward  progress  continues  — from 
stage  to  steamer  to  train  of  covered 
wagons.  The  whole  picture  is  as  per- 
fect an  example  of  sustained  filmic  mo- 
tion as  it  is  possible  for  the  talkie  form 
to  achieve. 

Should  Be  Seen  Twice 

q Not  by  seeing  the  picture  only  once 
can  the  student  get  all  its  cinematic 
values.  It  is  too  engrossing  as  entertain- 
ment to  permit  the  mind  to  become 
analytical  when  viewing  it  for  the  first 
time.  For  the  purpose  of  this  analysis 
I saw  it  twice,  the  first  time  to  estimate 
its  values  as  popular  entertainment.  I 
considered  it  excellent  entertainment  and 
so  expressed  myself  in  the  last  Spectator. 
I saw  it  the  second  time  to  discover  why 
I liked  it  so  well  the  first  time,  and 
found  in  it  most  of  the  cinematic  virtues 
I enumerate  here,  the  others  being  those 
which  forced  their  way  into  my  con- 
sciousness at  the  first  viewing. 

We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact 
that  motion  pictures  are  not  made  for 
study  groups  to  take  apart  in  an  effort 
to  find  out  why  they  tick.  They  are 
made  for  the  sole  purpose  of  entertain- 
ing audiences.  If  they  are  entertaining, 
nothing  else  matters  greatly.  But  the 
student  of  screen  entertainment  always 
should  know  why  he  likes  or  why  he 
dislikes  a picture  he  sees.  That  cannot 
be  determined  until  he  has  seen  a pic- 
ture for  the  second  time.  But  I believe 
those  who  read  this  page  prior  to  their 
seeing  Man  of  Conquest  can  be  conscious 
of  the  points  I mention  without  lessen- 
ing their  absorption  in  the  story  as  en- 
tertainment. 


★ “It’s  what  I’ve  been  preaching  on 
this  lot  until  I nearly  preached  myself 
out  of  my  job.  I have  written  sequences 
exactly  to  the  pattern  your  book  pre- 
sents, only  to  have  them  sent  back  for 
more  dialogue.  That  is  what  you  get 
for  working  for  people  who  don’t  know 

the  kind  of  business  they  are  in.” . 

(Name  omitted  to  keep  the  writer  from 
getting  in  bad  with  his  bosses.)  A Plea 
and  A Play,  by  Welford  Beaton;  price 
one  dollar.  Hollywood  Spectator,  6513 
Hollywood  Boulevard,  Hollywood. 


Harry  M.  Warner 
Expresses  Thanhs 

EAR  Welford: 

I want  you  to  know  that  I deeply 
appreciate  the  magnificent  attention  you 
pay  Confessions  of  a Nazi  Spy  in  the 
current  issue  of  your  publication. 

In  focusing  interest  of  your  readers 
upon  a film  of  this  type,  you  are  render- 
ing a service  not  only  to  them  but  to 
our  nation,  as  well. 

Under  existing  world  conditions,  we 
who  love  America  must  do  all  within 
our  power  to  safeguard  its  ideals  and  to 
foster  a greater  love  of  country.  We  of 
the  Warner  studio  have  sought  to  ac- 
complish this  through  the  production  of 
Confessions  of  a Nazi  Spy.  You, 
through  your  publication,  are  lending 
valuable  aid. 

With  kindest  personal  regards,  I re- 
main, sincerely, 

H.  M.  WARNER, 

( President , Warner  Bros.  Pictures,  Inc.) 


Weep  and  Like  It 

There  was  an  old  actor 

Who  lived  on  beef  stew, 

Ran  out  of  ingredients 

And  was  stumped  what  to  do. 
He  hoped  for  a phone  call. 

But  it  never  came, 

And  he  hadn't  a nickel 

To  put  to  his  name. 

So  rather  than  holler. 

He  went  straight  to  bed. 

When  his  landlady  called 

To  collect  her  month's  fare, 

She  found  that  the  actor’s 

Food  cupboard  was  bare. 

“If  only  I’d  known, 

“I’d  have  helped  him  to  thrive.” 
But  the  time  to  save  actors 
Is  when  they're  alive. 

And  Jim.  the  old  actor,  was  dead. 

Robert  Watson. 


★ People  would  seldom  turn  on  their 
radios  if  the  sound  which  issued  from 
them  were  as  loud  and  metallic  of  tone 
as  that  which  issues  much  of  the  time 
from  theatre  loud-speakers.  The  sound 
reproduction  in  nearly  all  theatres  could 
benefit  by  a modification  of  volume. 


Eyes  Examined  and  Glasses  Pitted 


DEVER  D.  GRAY,  OPT.  D. 

...  OPTOMETRIST  ... 

1725  North  Highland  Avenue 
Hollywood,  California 
HEmpstead  8438 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  SEVEN 


What  iate  (JheJ  Jiwk  iike 


Too  Mitch  Chatter 
for  Easy  Digestion 

• THE  RETURN  OF  THE  CISCO  KID;  20th- 
Fox  production;  directed  by  Herbert  I.  Leeds; 
associate  producer,  Kenneth  Macgowan; 
screen  play,  Milton  Sperling;  based  on  char- 
acter created  by  O.  Henry;  photography, 
Charles  Clarke;  art  direction,  Richard  Day; 
associate  art  direction,  Wiard  B.  Ihnen;  film 
editor,  James  B.  Clark;  costumes,  Gwen  Wake- 
ling;  musical  direction,  Cyril  J.  Mockridge. 
Stars  Warner  Baxter.  Features  Lynn  Bari, 
Cesar  Romero,  Henry  Hull,  Kane  Richmond, 
C.  Henry  Gordon  and  Robert  Barrat.  Support- 
ing cast:  Chris-Pin  Martin,  Adrian  Morris, 

Soledad  Jimenez,  Harry  Strang,  Arthur  Ayles- 
worth,  Paul  Burns,  Victor  Kilian,  Eddie  Wal- 
ler, Ruth  Gillette,  Ward  Bond.  Running  time, 
70  minutes. 

OTHING  the  matter  with  the  Cisco 
Kid  himself,  but  the  vehicle  in  which 
he  is  brought  back  to  us  is  such  a poor 
thing  it  makes  us  wonder  why  Century 
did  not  let  him  stay  dead.  There  is 
nothing  the  matter  with  Warner  Bax- 
ter’s repetition  of  the  role.  He  is  the 
same  flashing,  smiling  daredevil  we 
liked  so  well  nearly  a decade  ago  and 
who  now  is  brought  from  the  grave 
only  to  be  knocked  back  into  it  by  the 
story  written  for  his  resurrection.  The 
Return  of  the  Cisco  Kid  is  not  satisfac- 
tory screen  entertainment  chiefly  because 
it  talks  too  much.  At  least  half  the 
chatter  is  without  story  value  and  seems 
to  be  indulged  in  for  its  own  sake. 

An  instance  is  the  writing  of  the  part 
played  by  that  talented  actor,  Henry 
Hull.  He  is  characterized  as  a drunken 
swindler  who  stops  talking  only  when 
he  is  guzzling  whiskey  and  whose  part 
in  motivating  the  story  is  much  too 
trivial  to  justify  the  irritation  he  causes. 
He  merely  is  the  traveling  companion  of 
Lynn  Bari,  the  leading  woman,  a part 
which  could  have  contributed  to  the 
entertainment  value  of  the  picture  if  it 
had  been  written  for  a less  blabby  play- 
er, either  male  or  female,  and  not  writ- 
ten on  the  theory  that  there  is  comedy 
value  in  constant  swilling  of  liquor. 

Outstanding  for  Beauty 

*1  Visually,  the  picture  is  a beautiful 
thing,  Charles  Clarke,  its  cameraman, 
being  entitled  to  billing  as  its  star.  It 
brings  to  us  the  mood  of  the  desert  with 
long  vistas  of  its  grotesque  loveliness, 
its  peaks  and  plains,  its  lights  and 
shadows,  but  too  little  of  the  cloak  of 
silence  which  makes  it  so  impressive. 
It  is  a setting  which  demanded  for  its 
complement  the  subdued  sparse  talking 
of  men  whose  actions  make  their  silence 
eloquent.  But  instead  of  what  we  should 
have  had — a story  which  could  be  told 
completely  without  asking  us  to  listen 
to  more  than  two  hundred  speeches — 


On  This  Page 

HE  last  Spectator  contained  reviews 
of  ten  pictures;  the  three  before  it, 
going  backwards,  had  17,  16,  11  re- 
spectively. This  Spectator  has  8 
reviews,  one  of  them  having  been 
crowded  out  of  the  last  issue  and  held 
over  for  this  one.  The  review-con- 
tent of  a Spectator  is  something  be- 
yond our  power  to  control;  if  the 
studios  do  not  preview  pictures,  we 
cannot  review  them.  Hollywood  un- 
derstands that,  but  possibly  the  Spec- 
tator’s readers  outside  Hollywood 
may  attribute  the  fluctuations  in  the 
number  of  reviews  published  in  each 
issue  to  be  due  to  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  energy  of  our  reviewers.  Quite  a 
number  of  big  and  little  pictures  are 
nearing  completion,  and  it  is  not  like- 
ly any  future  Spectator  will  contain 
as  few  reviews  as  we  present  in  this 
issue.  Among  the  reviews  the  Spec- 
tator can  promise  to  present  in  its 
next  issue  are  those  of  Juarez.  Union 
Pacific,  The  Confessions  of  a Nazi 
Spy,  all  important  pictures. 


we  are  given  one  which  contains  over 
two  thousand,  most  of  which  are  noth- 
ing but  meaningless  noise. 

An  example  of  gratuitous  presenta- 
tion of  voice  for  its  own  sake:  A fire 

breaks  out  and  threatens  the  desert  com- 
munity's principal  building.  The  men 
get  buckets,  fill  them  with  water  and 
try  to  drown  the  fire.  The  desert,  I re- 
mind you,  breeds  silent  men,  tight- 
lipped  men  who  battle  with  it  for  ex- 
istence. There  was  chance  for  drama 
in  the  fight  with  the  fire — the  grim 
men  of  the  desert  doggedly,  silently 
striving  to  conquer  the  flames.  But  that 
is  not  what  we  get.  During  the  entire 
fire  sequence  the  men  are  yelling  at  the 
tops  of  their  voices  and  running  in  cir- 
cles like  a lot  of  astonished  rabbits.  I 
am  not  aware  whether  producer,  writer 
or  director  is  to  blame  for  such  inepti- 
tude, but  if  it  were  divided  into  three 
parts,  there  would  be  a big  helping  for 
each  of  them. 

Performances  Are  Capable 

<|  Strangely  enough,  all  the  perform- 
ances, as  such,  will  give  satisfaction  even 
though  you  will  not  like  the  picture  as 
a whole.  Warner  Baxter  is  as  convinc- 
ing as  the  Cisco  Kid  as  he  was  when  the 
part  started  him  on  the  road  to  fame 
and  fortune.  It  is  unfortunate  for  him 
that  the  character  was  brought  back  in 
a picture  poorly  written  and  poorly  di- 
rected. Lynn  Bari  and  Kane  Richmond 
make  the  most  of  a romance,  and  as  a 
team  of  cheerful  desperadoes  Cesar  Ro- 
mero and  Chris-Pin  Martin  give  excel- 


lent accounts  of  themselves.  The  veter- 
an Robert  Barrat  contributes  one  of 
those  discerning,  convincing  character- 
izations we  have  learned  to  expect  from 
him.  C.  Henry  Gordon,  one  of  Holly- 
wood’s most  capable  actors,  gives  a brief 
part  story  value.  Soledad  Jimenez  is 
another  who  capably  adds  her  bit. 

As  is  the  case  with  all  Century  pro- 
ductions, this  one  reflects  credit  on  all 
technicians  who  had  a hand  in  its  mak- 
ing. Sound  recording  by  Arthur  von 
Kirbach  and  Roger  Heman  is  particu- 
larly commendable,  and  as  much  can  be 
said  for  the  film  editing  of  James  B. 
Clark.  The  Century  art  department  pro- 
vided sets  which  are  responsible  in  a 
large  part  for  both  the  creation  and 
maintenance  of  the  atmosphere  of  the 
period  which  the  story  deals  with. 

Constant  talking  probably  will  ex- 
haust the  patience  of  adult  audiences, 
but  the  action  should  please  the  young- 
sters. Study  groups  should  note  the  ex- 
cess of  dialogue  which  has  no  story 
value. 

Mickey's  Mugging 
Mars  the  Mirth 

• THE  HARDYS  RIDE  HIGH;  MGM;  director, 
George  B.  Seitz;  musical  score,  David  Snell; 
art  director,  Cedric  Gibbons;  associate  art 
director,  Eddie  Imazu;  set  decorations,  Edwin 
B.  Willis;  photography,  Lester  White;  film  edi- 
tor, Ben  Lewis.  Cast:  Lewis  Stone,  Mickey 

Rooney,  Cecilia  Parker,  Fay  Holden,  Ann  Ruth- 
erford, Sara  Haden,  Virginia  Grey,  Minor  Wat- 
son, John  King,  John  T.  Murray,  George  Irv- 
ing, Halliwell  Hobbes,  Aileen  Pringle,  Marsha 
Hunt,  Donald  Briggs,  William  Orr,  Truman 
Bradley.  Running  time,  75  minutes. 

HILE  The  Hardys  Ride  High  meas- 
ures up  all  right  with  the  best  of 
the  smaller  pictures,  it  is  the  poorest  of 
the  Hardy  series.  The  story  suffers  from 
a constitutional  weakness:  it  gives  the 
Hardys  a two-million-dollar  inheritance, 
and  after  a couple  of  days  takes  it  away 
from  them,  thus  getting  nowhere  in 
particular.  But  that  is  not  the  chief 
weakness  of  the  picture  as  entertain- 
ment. Mickey  Rooney  spoils  it  with 
his  mugging.  It  is  by  long  odds  the 
worst  performance  he  has  given  in  one 
of  the  series.  Under  the  capable  direc- 
tion of  George  Seitz,  the  Hardy  pictures 
made  Rooney  one  of  the  screen  s impor- 
tant actors,  gave  him  fourth  place  in 
the  list  of  money-making  stars. 

When  it  was  announced  that  W.  S. 
Van  Dyke  was  to  direct  the  Hardy  pic- 
ture to  follow  Ride  High,  some  specula- 
tion was  caused  in  film  circles.  Daily 
Variety  explained  the  shift  by  stating 
that  “one  of  the  top  players”  was  get- 
ting out  of  hand,  that  Lion  Tamer  Van 
Dyke  was  called  in  to  tame  him.  The 


PAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


only  out-of-hand  player  in  Ride  High 
is  Rooney,  and  he  certainly  can  stand  a 
lot  of  taming  if  the  series  is  to  continue. 
In  most  of  his  scenes  he  succeeds  only 
in  being  ridiculous.  The  fault  cannot 
lie  in  the  direction,  as  it  was  Seitz  who 
was  responsible  for  the  excellent  per- 
formances Rooney  gave  in  the  pictures 
which  established  his  reputation. 

Story  Is  Not  Convincing 

•I  The  Ride  High  story  does  not  ring 
true.  It  takes  the  family  out  of  the 
home-folks  atmosphere  which  was  its 
greatest  strength.  And  it  takes  Judge 
Hardy  out  of  character  by  giving  him  a 
moment  when  he  is  on  the  point  of 
committing  a crime  to  obtain  money 
upon  which  he  has  no  legal  claim.  He 
does  not  commit  the  crime,  but  it  is 
to  his  discredit  that  he  thought  of  it, 
and  not  at  all  to  his  credit  that  he  did 
not  go  through  with  it.  Honesty  is 
something  we  take  for  granted,  and  no 
man  can  preen  himself  upon  practicing 
it.  In  every  picture  in  which  Judge 
Hardy  appears  hereafter  there  will  rise 
before  him  the  ghost  of  the  crime  he 
almost  committed. 

Ride  High,  of  course,  is  not  a total 
loss.  It  has  many  scenes  which  ring 
true  and  others  which  are  exceedingly 
funny.  It  is  mounted  somewhat  more 
imposingly  than  others  of  the  series, 
the  Metro  technical  experts  again  prov- 
ing themselves  masters  of  their  crafts. 
With  the  exception  of  Rooney's,  all  the 
performances  are  excellent.  Lewis  Stone, 
of  course,  is  the  same  dependable  and 
sincere  artist,  even  the  moment  of  weak- 
ness to  which  I object,  being  put  over 
with  skill.  Fay  Holden  is  again  the 
model  mother,  and  Sara  Haden,  the  old- 
maid  school  teacher,  here  becomes  a but- 
terfly, and  a most  engaging  one.  Cecilia 
Parker  and  Ann  Rutherford  are  as 
charming  as  ever.  Minor  Watson  and 
George  Irving  have  important  roles. 
Among  those  who  appear  briefly,  I 
spotted  Marsha  Hunt.  There  is  a girl 
who  could  get  somewhere  if  some  pro- 
ducer would  give  her  a chance. 

Story  somewhat  more  involved  than 
previous  ones  of  series , consequently  has 
less  juvenile  appeal.  Rooney’s  perform- 
ance will  disappoint  his  adult  admirers. 


★ A Plea  and  A Play,  by  Welford 
Beaton.  A plea  for  less  dialogue  in 
screen  entertainment  and  a screen  play 
to  demonstrate  how  it  can  be  done. 
One  of  the  first  comments  on  it:  “Thank 
you  for  giving  us  the  clearest  treatment 
of  the  dialogue  nuisance  yet  presented. 
It  has  been  included  in  the  text-books 
for  our  motion  picture  appreciation 
class.’’ — Price,  one  dollar.  Hollywood 
Spectator,  6513  Hollywood  Boulevard, 
Hollywood. 


★ The  Spectator  has  the  widest  circu- 
lation among  educational  groups  of  any 
film  publication. 


England  Sends  b„ 
One  of  the  Best 

9 STOLEN  LIFE;  Paramount  release  of  an 
Orion  production;  produced  and  directed  by 
Paul  Czinner;  adapted  by  Margaret  Kennedy; 
from  the  novel  by  K.  I.  Benes.  Stars  Elisabeth 
Bergner  and  Michael  Redgrave.  Supporting 
cast:  Wilfrid  Lawson,  Mabel  Terry  Lewis, 

Richard  Ainley,  Kenneth  Buckley,  Cyril  Hor- 
rocks,  O.  B.  Clarence,  John  Lloyd,  Roy  Rus- 
sell, Oliver  Johnston,  H.  Regus,  Devina  Craid, 
Dorothy  Dewhurst,  Fewlass  Llewellyn,  Paul- 
ette Preney,  Ernest  Ferney,  Stella  Arbenina, 
Kaye  Seely,  Pierre  Jouvenet,  Dorice  Fordred, 
Cot  O'Ordan,  Annie  Esmond,  D.  J.  Williams, 
Clement  McCallin,  Cayenne  Micheladzse,  Cy- 
ril Chamberlain.  Running  time,  90  minutes. 

RARE  treat,  this  one,  with  one  of 
the  world’s  greatest  actresses  teamed 
with  one  of  its  most  agreeable  leading 
men:  a human  story,  told  with  leisure- 
ly progression,  as  is  the  English  way, 
and  backgrounds  differing  refreshingly 
from  those  we  are  used  to  seeing.  We 
get  few  pictures  from  abroad  which 
match  in  excellence  Stolen  Life,  conse- 
quently American  audiences  have  not 
been  taught  to  look  for  them:  and,  as 
a further  consequence,  I am  afraid  this 
one  will  not  earn  the  patronage  its 
merits  entitle  it  to,  although  locally  the 
discriminating  patronage  which  Man- 
ager Bruce  Fowler  has  developed  for  his 
Four  Star  Theatre  should  assure  it  a 
long  run. 

Stolen  Life  presents  Elisabeth  Berg- 
ner with  an  opportunity  to  give  her 
greatest  purely  mental  characterization. 
She  plays  a dual  role  as  each  of  a pair 
of  twins,  one — the  leading  character — 
a thoughtful,  earnest  girl  of  high  char- 
acter: the  other  a vibrant,  unscrupulous 
trifler  with  easily  adjustable  moral  prin- 
ciples, who  ruthlessly  steals  from  her 
s’ster  the  man  the  latter  loves,  marries 
him,  then  falls  in  love  with  another. 

Story  a Simple  One 

<|  As  must  be  the  case  with  all  really 
great  photoplays,  the  story  of  Stolen 
Life  is  a simple  one  which  could  be  told 
in  a couple  of  reels.  As  told  on  the 
screen  it  holds  our  lively  interest  for 
seven  or  eight  reels  by  the  sheer  force  of 
the  artistry  put  into  it  by  the  writer, 
director  and  players.  In  the  dual  capac- 
ity of  producer  and  director,  Paul  Czin- 
ner acquits  himself  brilliantly.  I cannot 
recall  at  the  moment  an  American  pic- 
ture which  was  given  more  discerning 
direction,  one  which  conveys  a greater 
suggestion  of  intimacy,  the  quality 
which  makes  us  feel  we  are  a part  of  it, 
friends  of  the  family,  permitted  to  share 
the  joys  and  sorrows  of  those  compos- 
ing it. 

In  each  of  the  widely  diversified 
phases  of  her  characterization  Miss  Berg- 
ner is  superb.  And,  thanks  to  her  and  to 
the  director,  we  have  a picture  in  which 
a player  assumes  two  roles  without  mak- 
ing us  hear  the  creaks  of  the  cinematic 


machinery  as  it  turns  out  the  story.  We 
see  and  become  acquainted  with  two 
separate  and  distinct  characters,  so  indi- 
vidual does  Miss  Bergner  make  each  of 
them. 

Harmonious  Acting  Pattern 

<J  It  is  all  of  a quarter  of  a century  ago 
since  I saw  all  the  principal  plays  being 
presented  in  London  theatres,  but  there 
lingers  with  me  yet  the  memory  of  the 
evenness  of  all  the  performances,  the 
harmonious  acting  pattern  in  which  the 
small  bits  were  of  the  same  quality  as 
the  larger  parts  of  the  fabric.  The  best 
English  pictures  coming  to  us  from  time 
to  time  have  the  same  quality.  Stolen 
Life  is  no  exception.  Miss  Bergner’s  co- 
star,  Michael  Redgrave,  made  an  im- 
pression upon  all  those  who  saw  him  in 
The  Lady  Vanishes.  In  Stolen  Life  he 
again  distinguishes  himself,  but  every 
part,  down  to  the  smallest,  leaves  no 
room  for  criticism. 

Technically,  the  picture  is  fully  up 
to  the  best  Hollywood  standard.  Sound 
recording  is  excellent,  as  it  had  to  be  in 
a picture  in  which  there  are  no  raised 
voices  and  in  which  several  speeches  are 
whispered.  Photography  also  is  of  high 
standard. 

Too  fine  of  texture  for  any  but  dis- 
criminating audiences.  To  study  groups 
it  presents  an  opportunity  to  compare 
direction  with  the  best  given  Hollywood 
pictures.  An  attraction  for  first  class 
theatres  in  larger  cities;  not  for  small 
town  houses. 

Could  Ha  ve  Been  a 
if  hole  Lot  Better 

9 CALLING  DR.  KILDARE;  MGM;  director, 
Harold  S.  Bucquet;  original.  Max  Brand; 
screen  play,  Harry  Ruskin;  musical  score, 
David  Snell;  recording  director,  Douglas 
Shearer;  art  director,  Cedric  Gibbons;  asso- 
ciate art  director,  Gabriel  Scognamillo;  set 
decorations,  Edwin  B.  Willis;  photography, 
AHred  Gilks  and  Lester  White;  film  editor, 
Robert  J.  Kern.  Cast:  Lew  Ayres,  Lionel  Bar- 
rymore, Laraine  Day,  Nat  Pendleton,  Lana 
Turner,  Samuel  S.  Hinds,  Lynne  Carver,  Em- 
ma Dunn,  Walter  Kingsford,  Alma  Kruger, 
Bobs  Watson,  Harlan  Briggs,  Henry  Hunter, 
Marie  Blake,  Phillip  Terry,  Roger  Converse, 
Donald  Barry,  Reed  Hadley.  Nell  Craig, 
Ueorge  Offerman,  Jr.,  Clinton  Rosemond, 
Johnny  Walsh.  Running  time,  86  minutes. 

OT  having  seen  the  first  picture  of 
the  Dr.  Kildare  series,  I am  not  in  a 
position  to  compare  it  with  this  one; 
but  as  the  first  scored  a success,  it  must 
have  been  better  entertainment  than  this 
one,  which  is  unpleasant  even  though 
most  capably  directed  and  satisfactorily 
acted  by  a well  chosen  cast.  And.  of 
course,  it  has  one  of  Metro’s  complete 
and  visually  attractive  productions.  As 
I understand  the  series,  its  purpose  is 
to  keep  us  interested  in  the  progress  of 
a clever  young  doctor  (Lew  Ayres) 
whose  career  is  being  guided  by  an 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  NINE 


amusingly  irascible  old  one  i l onel 
Barrymore) . 

This  story  shows  Ayres  disregarding 
both  the  ethics  of  his  profession  and 
the  provisions  of  criminal  law  by  re- 
fusing to  report  to  the  police  a gunshot 
wound  he  is  called  upon  to  treat.  With- 
out the  slightest  clue  upon  which  to 
base  his  conviction.  Ayres  is  satisfied 
that  his  patient  is  not  the  murderer  the 
police  are  convinced  he  is.  That  is  the 
reason  for  his  failure  to  report  the  case. 

Hero  Assumes  Too  Much 

<JJust  why  Ayres  assumes  the  law  will 
not  give  the  wounded  man  a square 
deal  is  not  made  clear  at  any  stage  of 
the  story.  He  shows  his  disrespect  for 
the  honesty  and  ability  of  law  officers 
by  his  refusal  to  put  the  case  in  their 
hands  and  his  decision  to  solve  the  crime 
himself.  Thus  we  have  the  spectacle  of 
a young  doctor,  fresh  from  a country 
town  and  guileless  enough  to  become 
the  easy  victim  of  a designing  gold- 
digger  in  the  person  of  an  attractive 
girl,  considering  himself  the  only  per- 
son who  could  stand  between  his  chance 
patient  and  the  latter's  unjust  execu- 
tion for  murder.  If  I had  been  in  the 
patient  s place,  I would  have  preferred 
to  have  my  case  placed  in  the  hands  of 
officers  trained  in  the  art  of  solving 
crimes. 

A basically  absurd  story  cannot  be 
made  into  satisfactory  screen  entertain- 
ment, no  matter  how  good  the  direc- 
tion and  capable  the  acting.  The  Kil- 
dare series  offers  Metro  jan  opportunity 
to  contribute  something  worthwhile  to 
the  screen,  something  dignified,  human 
and  amusing,  but  the  series  will  not 
live  long  if  it  is  to  drag  in  the  cheap, 
smelly  melodrama  of  which  the  public 
already  is  tired,  and  if  it  persists  in  hav- 
ing its  inexperienced  hero  doing  things 
we  refuse  to  believe  he  could  do. 

Points  on  Credit  Side 

<11  On  the  credit  side  of  Calling  Dr. 
Kildare  there  are  the  already  noted  di- 
rection of  Harold  Bucquet  and  several 
excellent  performances.  The  direction 
of  dialogue  is  particularly  noteworthy, 
there  being  none  of  the  loud  talking 
which  has  driven  so  many  customers 
away  from  film  box-offices.  Speaking 
in  natural  tones  permits  the  player  to 
substitute  expression  for  noise,  which 
is  another  way  of  saying  it  permits  him 
to  give  a natural  performance.  Lionel 
Barrymore,  of  course,  is  to  be  credited 
with  another  superb  performance.  Lew 
Ayres  carries  on  in  a manner  which  can 
keep  the  series  going  if  the  stories  are 
better  than  this  one.  Nat  Pendleton, 
Sam  Hinds,  Walter  Kingsford  and  sev- 
eral others  among  the  men  do  good 
work.  Little  Bobs  Watson  scores  a de- 
cided hit. 

We  are  presented  with  a brace  of 
beautiful  and  capable  girls  in  the  per- 
sons of  Loraine  Day  and  Lana  Turner, 


each  of  whom  responds  to  Bucquet’s 
direction  with  an  engaging  character- 
ization. Emma  Dunn  and  Alma  Kruger 
prove  again  their  dependability  in  char- 
acter roles. 

Two  cameras  contributed  the  excel- 
lent photography,  those  of  Alfred  Gilks 
and  Lester  White.  The  highly  impor- 
tant job  of  editing  the  film  was  in  the 
capable  hands  of  Bob  Kern,  and  a good 
job  he  made  of  it. 

Worth  the  time  of  study  groups  as 
a demonstration  of  things  which  should 
not  be  done.  Will  be  criticized  for  its 
moral  tone  as  it  justifies  the  action  of 
a citizen  in  concealing  a man  wanted 
on  a criminal  charge.  Not  for  children. 
Students  should  note  the  sensible  direc- 
tion of  dialogue.  Exhibitors  had  better 
soft-pedal  on  advance  promises. 

One  With  Little 

to  Recommend  It 

• THE  LADY'S  FROM  KENTUCKY;  Para- 
mount; producer,  Jeff  Lazarus;  director,  Alex- 
ander Hall;  assistant  director,  Joseph  Lefert; 
photography,  Theodor  Sparkuhl;  art  directors, 
Hans  Dreier  and  John  Goodman;  film  editor, 
Harvey  Johnston;  interior  decorations,  A.  E. 
Freudeman.  Cast:  George  Raft,  Ellen  Drew, 

Hugh  Herbert,  Zazu  Pitts,  Louise  Beavers, 
Lew  Payton,  Forrester  Harvey,  Harry  Tyler. 
Edward  J.  Pawley,  Gilbert  Emery,  Eugene 
Jackson,  Jimmy  Bristow.  Running  time.  75 
minutes. 

OUITE  a collection  of  things  not  to 
do  when  making  a motion  picture. 
All  things  Jeff  Lazarus,  the  picture’s 
producer,  should  have  known  in  ad- 
vance. The  story  is  a cheap,  tawdry 
recital  of  a romance,  with  a race  horse 
background,  shared  by  a gambler  with 
a low  conception  of  sporting  ethics, 
and  a girl  so  reared  and  refined  it  is  im- 
possible for  the  audience  to  believe  she 
would  love  the  kind  of  man  the  gam- 
bler is.  Perhaps  lurking  in  the  back  of 
Rowland  Brown’s  head  there  may  have 
been  some  idea  which  would  justify 
the  story — or  such  an  idea  may  have 
been  in  his  original — but,  if  so,  there  is 
no  evidence  of  it  in  Mike  Boylan’s 
screen  play. 

Merging  the  kind  of  character  George 
Raft  should  play,  with  the  kind  appar- 
ently he  wants  to  play,  proves  only  that 
he  is  not  a romantic  actor.  He  has  made 
a place  for  himself  on  the  screen  in  parts 
which  suited  his  personality  and  by 
sticking  to  them  could  extend  even  his 
already  established  popularity,  but 
among  the  parts  he  should  not  play  is 
the  kind  he  plays  in  this  picture.  And 
the  agreeable  and  promising  Ellen  Drew 
will  have  to  make  her  next  appearance 
in  a better  story  if  she  is  to  make  us  for- 
get this  one.  And  Paramount  will  have 
to  do  something  to  appease  Kentucky 
for  the  shock  The  Lady’s  From  Ken- 
tucky will  give  it.  Having  one  of  its 
fairest  daughters  in  love  with  a tin-horn 


gambler  with  low  sporting  instincts,  is 
a bit  too  much. 

Direction  Does  Not  Help 

<1  The  weakness  of  the  story  is  accen- 
tuated by  the  direction  given  it  by  AI 
Hall.  Granted  he  had  pretty  bad  mate- 
rial to  work  with,  he  still  might  have 
given  us  a better  picture  if  he  had  di- 
rected with  greater  appreciation  of  such 
values  as  the  script  contained.  He  sure- 
ly could  have  induced  Raft  to  put  some 
expression  in  the  reading  of  lines.  And 
he  could  have  given  us  a dining  room 
scene  not  quite  as  absurd  as  the  one  we 
see.  Three  people  are  seated  at  a round 
table;  all  face  the  camera,  seating  which 
leaves  two-thirds  of  the  table  without 
occupants.  A fourth  guest  joins  them, 
squeezes  in  with  the  three,  and  the  four 
sit  elbow-to-elbow  in  order  to  bring  all 
their  faces  into  the  camera. 

One  thing  to  the  credit  of  the  picture 
is  its  giving  that  capable  comedian, 
Hugh  Herbert,  a chance  to  be  different. 
His  is  the  best  performance,  one  free 
from  the  mannerisms  he  for  a long  time 
has  been  trying  to  get  away  from,  but 
which  his  directors  demanded.  Hall  al- 
lows him  to  be  different,  and  an  excel- 
lent characterization  is  the  result.  An- 
other asset  of  the  picture  is  the  presence 
in  the  cast  of  the  clever  and  popular 
Zazu  Pitts,  who  for  too  long  a period 
has  been  absent  from  the  screen.  Visu- 
ally the  picture  is  attractive,  the  produc- 
tion being  of  high  standard.  Technic- 
ally, too,  there  is  nothing  lacking,  pho- 
tography, film  editing  and  sound  re- 
cording being  thoroughly  competent. 

Criminal's  Mind 

Is  Taken  Apart 

• BLIND  ALLEY;  Columbia  picture  and  re- 
lease; director,  Charles  Vidor;  associate  pro- 
ducer, Fred  Kohlmar;  screen  play  by  Philip 
MacDonald,  Michael  Blankfort  and  Albert 
Duffy;  based  on  play  by  James  Warwick; 
photography,  Lucien  Ballard;  film  editor,  Otto 
Meyer;  sound  recording,  J.  A.  Goodrich;  mu- 
sical director,  M.  W.  Stoloff-  art  director,  Lionel 
Banks;  montage  effects,  Donald  W.  Starling; 
gowns,  Kalloch.  Features  Chester  Morris, 
Ralph  Bellamy.  Ann  Dvorak.  Supporting  cast: 
Joan  Perry,  Melville  Cooper.  Rose  Stradner. 
John  Eldridge,  Ann  Doran,  Marc  Lawrence, 
Stanley  Brown,  Scotty  Beckett,  Milburn  Stone, 
Marie  Blake.  Running  time,  68  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

UITE  different  from  any  story  I re- 
call having  seen  in  pictures  before  is 
that  of  Blind  Alley.  The  whole  affair 
is  t ed  up  with  psychoanalysis,  being 
an  account  of  how  a psychology  profes- 
sor uses  the  one  weapon  at  his  command 
to  protect  his  family  and  guests  when 
his  home  is  invaded  by  a notorious  kil- 
ler and  his  accomplices,  hiding  from  the 
police  — the  professor  “destroys"  the 
fellow  by  taking  apart  his  mind  and 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


showing  him  how  it  works.  The  pro- 
cess is  grim  but  exciting. 

Chester  Morris  gives  a vital  portrayal 
of  the  killer.  It  is  a finely  thought  out, 
excellently  accented  and  shaded  per- 
formance, one  of  the  best  I have  seen 
this  season.  Hard  on  his  heels  for  hon- 
ors is  Ralph  Bellamy,  as  the  shrewd 
professor,  calmly  but  alertly  watching 
his  chances  to  throw  a noose  of  science 
about  the  killer.  Ann  Dvorak  depicts 
a devoted  gangster's  moll  with  spirit, 
and  Joan  Perry,  Melville  Cooper,  Rose 
Stradner,  the  youthful  John  Eldridge 
and  others  are  able.  Director  Charles 
Vidor  has  brought  an  experienced  hand 
to  bear  on  the  proceedings,  carrying 
along  the  drama  with  intensity  and 
pace. 

New  Science  Explained 

<1  The  psychoanalysis  tenets  have  been 
set  forth  with  admirable  clarity  by  the 
script.  In  fact,  the  picture  constitutes  a 
good  exposition  of  the  basic  principles 
of  the  science.  The  psychoanalysts  main- 
tain, it  may  be  recalled,  that  much  of 
abnormal  behavior  is  caused  by  mem- 
ories which  the  individual  would  escape 
and  has  pushed  down  into  the  subcon- 
scious mind,  and  that  once  these  mem- 
ories are  coaxed  into  the  open  and  the 
individual  made  aware  of  the  causes  of 
his  behavior,  he  is  cured  of  the  procliv- 
ities. In  this  story  the  criminal  is  not 
only  cured  of  a nightmare  which  has 
haunted  him  from  childhood,  or  so  the 
professor  assures  him,  but  is  also  freed 
from  his  impulse  to  kill,  though  this 
metamorphosis,  ironically,  brings  about 
his  doom.  I am  not  qualified  to  express 
an  opinion  on  the  merits  of  this  branch 
of  psychiatry.  The  important  thing  is 
that  the  theories  are  wholly  acceptable 
durmg  the  unfoldment  of  the  drama, 
which  is  doubtless  due  in  large  part  to 
the  craftsmanship  in  the  screen  play  and 
to  Bellamy’s  sincere  playing.  Those  who 
are  indifferent  to  a sprinkling  of  ideas 
in  their  film  fare  will  find  plenty  of 
melodrama  to  absorb  them. 

Montage  Sequences  Weird 
<1  Good  dramaturgy  can  be  seen  in  the 
structure  of  the  screen  play  by  Philip 
MacDonald,  Michael  Blankfort  ancT Al- 
bert Duffy,  though  I judged  the  text  of 
James  Warwick’s  play  was  adhered  to 
closely  in  important  scenes  of  the  drama. 
The  convincing  way  in  which  the  killer 
is  brought  around  to  subjecting  himself 
to  the  psychiatrist’s  probing,  is  an  in- 
stance of  exceptionally  good  writing. 
Entrances  and  exits  are  deftly  managed, 
too,  and  the  tension  is  lightened  by 
comedy  touches  at  strategic  places.  The 
only  place  where  pace  and  interest  lag 
are  in  an  early  portion  when  two  prin- 
ciple characters  start  talking  about  two 
other  characters  which  have  not  yet  en- 
tered the  story  and  in  whom  we  have 
no  interest,  something  which  should 
practically  never  be  done  in  screen  writ- 
ing. 


Though  the  script,  for  the  most  part, 
is  wholly  in  the  talkie  genre,  and  most 
of  the  action  is  confined  to  a single  set, 
good  pace  is  maintained  through  the 
vitality  of  the  performances  and  the 
animate  use  Vidor  has  made  of  the 
camera.  Evidently  the  discerning  edit- 
ing of  Otto  Meyer  had  a hand  in  the 
movement,  too. 

Touches  of  sheer  cinema,  however, 
are  provided  by  Donald  W.  Starling  in 
his  montage  sequences.  The  recital  of 
the  killer’s  recurring  dream  is  evidently 
effected  through  the  use  of  the  negative 
film.  At  any  rate,  it  is  an  eerie  effect. 
Depictions  of  the  exhumed  memories  of 
the  fellow  are  artfully  realized  also, 
what  with  distorted  perspectives  and 
the  like.  The  general  photography  of 
Lucien  Ballard  contributes  importantly 
to  the  film,  as  does  the  art  direction  of 
Lionel  Banks  and  the  musical  score  by 
Stoloff. 

A study  in  psychoanalysis,  with  a 
counterpoint  of  melodrama,  which 
should  catch  the  fancy  of  all  adult  pic- 
ture-goers.  Libraries  might  find  a tie- 
up  between  the  film  and  their  books  in 
the  psychology  field.  Students  will  ob- 
serve instances  of  good  dramaturgy . 
some  excellent  playing,  and  some  imag- 
inative montage  sequences.  Not  recom- 
mended for  children,  however. 

Playing  in  This 

One  Best  Feature 

• SORORITY  HOUSE;  RKO  production  and 
release;  director,  John  Farrow;  producer,  Rob- 
ert Sisk;  production  executive,  Lee  Marcus; 
screen  play  by  Dalton  Trumbo;  based  on 
story,  "Chi  House,"  by  Mary  Coyle  Chase; 
photography,  Nicholas  Musuraca;  art  direc- 
tor, Van  Nest  Polglase;  associate  art  director, 
Carroll  Clark;  musical  score,  Roy  Webb; 
gowns,  Edward  Stevenson;  sound  recording, 
Earl  A.  Wolcott;  film  editor,  Harry  Marker. 
Features  Anne  Shirley  and  James  Ellison.  Sup- 
porting cast:  Barbara  Read,  Adele  Pearce, 

J.  M.  Kerrigan,  Helen  Wood,  Doris  Jordan, 
June  Storey,  Elisabeth  Risdon,  Margaret  Arm- 
strong, Selmer  Jackson,  Chill  Wills.  Running 
time,  60  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

SOME  high  caliber  playing  reflecting 
sensitive  direction,  is  the  one  attribute 
of  Sorority  House.  Anne  Shirley,  Adele 
Pearce  and  Barbara  Read  give  very  well 
interpreted  and  emotionally  keyed  de- 
pictions of  three  college  students  sharing 
a room  at  a boarding  house,  the  former 
two,  freshmen,  eagerly  awaiting  the 
prized  bids  which  will  invite  them  to 
become  pledges  of  a sorority.  Miss  Read, 
a sophomore,  is  whimsically  philosoph- 
ical— most  of  the  time — about  not  hav- 
ing been  pledged  as  yet.  J.  M.  Kerrigan 
backs  them  up  with  a human  portrayal 
of  the  former  girl’s  father.  There  are 
numerous  scenes  which  are  handled  with 
excellent  delicacy  or  dramatic  verve  by 
John  Farrow — Miss  Shirley’s  overflow- 


ing -a,?ture  upon  finally  being  at  col- 
lege, quiet  but  fervent,  as  she  talks  to 
James  Ellison  in  the  moonlit  garden 
in  front  of  the  boarding  house;  the  hys- 
terical attempt  at  suicide  by  one  girl 
who  fails  to  receive  an  expected  bid. 

The  story  itself,  however,  is  not  at 
all  times  convincing.  In  fact,  it  misses 
the  spirit  of  campus  life  about  as  far  as 
most  films  dealing  with  our  universi- 
ties. There  is  a good  material  for  a 
yarn  in  the  undue  emphasis  given  sor- 
orities at  most  educational  institutions. 
Granted,  such  cliques  beget  a certain 
amount  of  snobbishness,  a somewhat 
distorted  sense  of  values,  and  keen  dis- 
appointment for  some  excluded  students. 
Only,  Sorority  House  pounces  on  the 
problem  in  the  manner  of  Man  Moun- 
tain Dean. 

Some  Decline  to  Join 

<1  From  the  picture  it  would  appear  the 
average  girl  goes  to  a university  princi- 
pally to  join  an  exclusive  and  expensive 
sorority  and  to  find  a good  matrimonial 
prospect.  Perhaps  some  do,  but  with 
the  larger  portion  I am  sure  such  things 
are  secondary.  There  is  a growing  class 
of  students,  of  both  sexes,  who  remain 
’’non-org”  by  choice,  and  some  are 
prominent  in  campus  activities.  That  a 
girl  is  damned  to  a dreary,  empty  ex- 
istence during  her  college  years  because 
she  is  not  pledged  by  a sorority,  is 
hardly  a fact.  Moreover,  that  such  a 
level-headed  girl  as  Anne  Shirley  por- 
trays would  consider  being  pledged  by 
an  expensive  organization  when  she 
knows  her  father  is  straining  the  purse 
strings  to  send  her  to  school,  is  an  un- 
convincing facet. 

At  any  rate,  as  we  have  said,  the  per- 
formances are  of  such  merit  as  to  place 
the  picture  in  an  upper  bracket  as  a 
dualer.  Anne  Shirley  has  fine  emotion- 
al depth  in  her  work.  She  is  one  of  the 
best  dramatic  actresses  in  pictures.  James 
Ellison  has  not  a great  deal  to  do,  but 
is  agreeable. 

For  Dalton  Trumbo’s  screen  play  it 
can  be  said  that  the  dialogue  is  fluent. 
Perhaps  the  original  story  by  Mary 
Coyle  Chase  caught  campus  psychology 
no  better.  Nicholas  Musuraca  has  done 


HOLLYWOOD  DOG 
TRAINING  SCHOOL 

Carl  Spitz,  Owner 
Fritz  Bache,  Manager 

Phone  12350  Riverside  Drive 

North  Holly.  1262  No.  Hollywood,  Calif. 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


pleasant  photographing,  and  other  tech- 
nical contributions,  including  the  con- 
siderable background  music  from  Roy 
Webb,  are  of  a good  sort. 

Innocuous  but  scarcely  stimulating. 
Some  of  the  performances  are  good,  but 
the  yarn,  about  aspirants  to  sororities, 
misses  the  spirit  of  campus  life. 

Another  Gangster 
Film  and  Sullivan 

0 BIG  TOWN  CZAR;  Universal  production; 
directed  by  Arthur  Lubin;  associate  producer, 
Ken  Goldsmith;  screen  play,  Edmund  Hart- 
mann; based  on  original  by  Ed  Sullivan;  pho- 
tographed by  Elwood  Bredell;  art  director. 
Jack  Otterson;  film  editor,  Philip  Cahn;  musi- 
cal director,  Charles  Previn.  Cast;  Barton 
MacLane,  Tom  Brown,  Eve  Arden,  Jack  La 
Rue,  Frank  Jenks.  Walter  Woolf  King,  Oscar 
O'Shea,  Esther  Dale,  Horace  MacMahon, 
Jerry  Marlowe,  Ed  Sullivan.  Running  time, 
62  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
ROUTINE  gangster  film.  Purport- 
ing to  remind  us  once  again  that 
only  evil  can  be  expected  to  come  from 
the  tenements,  where  only  “the  tough 
and  ugly  weeds”  survive,  the  picture 
never  allows  its  zeal  for  sociological 
preachment  to  get  in  the  way  of  its 
spreading  sundry  excitements  across  the 
screen,  shootings,  gangster  intrigues,  and 
the  like.  I am  not  wholly  questioning 
the  sincerity  of  Ed  Sullivan  or  Edmund 
Hartmann,  authors  respectively  of  the 
original  story  and  screen  play.  I only 
point  out  that  they  have  a convenient 
faculty  for  keeping  one  eye  on  the  sen- 
sational. 

Authors  of  these  preaching  melo- 
dramas should  branch  out  into  more 
fruitful  themes.  Take,  for  instance,  “It 
Is  Wrong  to  Beat  Your  Wife” — think 
what  drama  would  lie  in  the  agonized 
screams  of  the  missus  as  she  is  dragged 
across  the  floor  by  the  hair.  A purely 
illustrative  incident,  understand.  Or 
better  yet,  “Never  Hit  Your  Grandma 
With  a Pickax"  — the  gory  details 
would  be  simply  colossal. 

Sullivan  Prominently  Cast 

<]]  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  present  picture 
is  undistinguished  in  either  story  or 
treatment.  As  the  story  is  told,  the  very 
basis  of  it  is  weak,  since  we  cannot  be- 
lieve that  a boy  who  has  been  work- 
ing his  way  through  college,  spurning 
the  assistance  of  his  elder  brother,  a 
successful  racketeer,  would  suddenly  be 
tempted  by  the  gift  of  a hundred  dollar 
bill,  left  behind  after  the  latter’s  visit, 
into  joining  his  brother  in  the  racket- 
eering business. 

Barton  MacLane  and  Tom  Brown  do 
about  as  well  with  the  parts  as  could  be 
done.  Eve  Arden  has  ability  but  has 
little  chance  to  show  it  here.  Statements 
of  a similar  pattern  could  be  phrased  for 
most  of  the  other  players.  Oscar  O’Shea 


and  Esther  Dale  stand  out  as  the  grieved 
parents. 

Ed  Sullivan  acts  as  narrator  in  several 
parts  of  the  picture  and  also  plays  him- 
self in  a number  of  scenes.  If  he  is  am- 
bitious to  add  the  art  of  Thespis  to  his 
literary  attainments,  it  is  to  be  hoped  he 
is  fortified  to  brave  the  critical  estimates 
of  his  writing  colleagues,  able  to  take  it 
as  well  as  dish  it  out.  Mr.  Sullivan  is 
terrible.  Arthur  Lubin  directed. 

Inferior  in  story  and  treatment.  Not 
for  children,  despite  a veneer  of  moral 
preachment. 

Jonathan  Asks  for 
Rehearsal  Reform 

/N  T HE  last  Spectator  I made  public 
a letter  which  Jonathan  Hale  wrote 
me  without  thought  of  its  publica- 
tion. He  writes  me  again,  whether 
for  publication  or  for  my  exclusive 
edification.  I do  not  know,  but,  any- 
way. I pass  the  letter  on  to  you. — 
\V.  B. 

ELEORD! 

Do  you  think  that’s  nice?  You  have 
less  conscience  than  a casting  director. 
At  your  request  I mail  you  a little  nut 
of  wisdom,  something  for  your  own 
convenience,  and  you  don’t  even  bother 
to  shell  it — just  toss  it  husk  and  all  into 
your  Spectator.  Why,  that’s  like  a di- 
rector printing  a rehearsal  you  didn’t 
know  was  being  shot.  It’s  just  plain 
low. 

However,  I must  say  you  printed  it 
in  a fine  looking  magazine.  Congratu- 
lations on  the  new  Spectator.  And  pri- 
vately, Welford,  I am  flattered  that  you 
thought  it  good  enough  to  print  in  the 
best  publication  in  the  business. 

Here  is  something  that  will  interest 
you.  Oliver  Hinsdell.  who  announces 
his  Studio  of  Dramatic  Art  in  that  same 
issue,  came  in  this  morning.  He  had 
just  read  my  stuff  about  training  peo- 
ple for  the  screen  in  an  ordinary  room. 
He  says  he  is  going  one  better.  He  is 
going  to  train  his  students  on  picture 
sets  and  with  picture  scripts  and  direct 
them  as  for  camera  and  microphone.  It 
seems  the  youngsters  will  be  getting 
their  money’s  worth  of  practical  in- 
struction. I don’t  know  of  another  set- 
up like  this.  Do  you? 

Jonathan  Discusses  Rehearsing 

<1  The  lack  of  adequate  rehearsal  is 
something  that  bothers  many  actors — 
particularly  those  fresh  from  the  stage. 
You  carry  weight  on  questions  of  pro- 
duction results  and  I know  you  have 
thought  about  this.  I’d  like  to  give  you 
one  actor's  angle  to  add  to  the  rest  of 
your  data  and  to  use,  if  you  like,  when 
you  get  around  to  it.  The  way  it  is 
now,  we  seldom  have  a reasonable  time 


to  digest  our  scenes  before  we  put  them 
on  a strip  of  film  for  the  world  to  look 
at.  Actors  go  before  the  camera  know- 
ing only  their  lines. 

In  the  few  minutes  of  rehearsing  we 
do  to  get  the  mechanics  of  the  thing 
worked  out  for  the  camera,  we  must 
take  from  each  other  and  give  to  each 
other  all  in  way  of  meaning  and  char- 
acterization that  we  can  snatch  out  of 
past  experience.  There  is  an  opportun- 
ity to  do  something  more  with  it  in  the 
closer  shots  that  follow,  but  nothing 
very  radical. 

Stage  Allows  More  Time 

Recently  I did  an  eight-page  scene, 
my  first  in  the  picture  and  one  of  the 
most  important  in  the  story.  I deliber- 
ately paced  it  slowly,  with  nonchalance 
and  ease  because  that  seemed  the  obvious 
thing.  I felt,  too,  that  I was  giving  it 
greater  value  by  the  contrast  this  would 
provide  with  what  had  happened  be- 
fore, which  of  course,  I had  read  but 
had  not  seen  shot.  Imagine  my  chag- 
rin when  at  the  preview  I found  the 
whole  picture  was  slowly  paced.  You 
may  blame  that  on  direction,  writing, 
or  supervision  if  you  like,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  I could  have  played  my 
scene  just  as  truthfully  at  a faster,  more 
vital  pace.  This  would  have  pulled  up 
the  tempo  and  vitality  of  the  whole 
thing.  Had  I been  there  and  seen  and 
taken  part  in  a rehearsal  of  the  sequence, 
I would  have  done  this. 

Now  contrast  this  method  of  work- 
ing with  the  weeks  of  study,  coaching 
and  rehearsing  a stage  production  gets. 
Somewhere  in  between  lies  a better  way. 
I have  benefited  by,  and  been  the  vic- 
tim of,  several  variations,  but  I have 
never  seen  tried  the  thing  which,  to  my 
mind,  promises  the  most  success  from  a 
performance  point  of  view  and,  I sus- 
pect, from  the  angle  of  production  econ- 
omy as  well. 

Jonathan  Makes  Suggestion 

Here  is  the  idea:  Stop  production 

around  four-thirty  or  five  o’clock  and 
dismiss  the  crew.  From  then  until  six, 
rehearse  what  will  be  shot  the  follow- 
ing day.  The  cameraman  and  cutter 
should  be  present.  The  advantage  of 
this  is  that  the  director  has  a chance  to 
crystallize  his  ideas:  he  is,  in  a sense, 
visually  a day  ahead  of  his  picture:  the 
cameraman  has  a chance  to  unravel  his 
problems:  the  cutter  would  be  of  help 
to  both  of  them,  and  they  to  him.  But 
most  important,  even  if  those  three 
don’t  see  these  advantages — and  who  am 
I to  say?— the  actors  get  time  to  think 
over  their  scene,  sleep  on  it,  digest  it 
down  to  significant,  rounded  behavior, 
clean  it  up  and  sharpen  it  to  its  dra- 
matic essentials.  And  here  I speak  from 
experience.  Many  a scene  has  given  me 
indigestion  and  I have  given  many  a 

(Continued  on  page  19) 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


£wh4  Plea  for 

SILENT  screen  technique  in  this  talkie 
age  has  had  no  more  able  nor  a more 
consistent  defender  than  Welford  Beat- 
on, editor  of  the  Hollywood  Spectator. 
Colleges  think  enough  of  Beaton  and 
his  writings  to  subscribe  generously  to 
his  fearless,  critical  magazine.  Women’s 
clubs  study  his  writings.  Cinema  clubs 
view  him  as  a defender  of  the  celluloid 
faith  and  his  publication  as  the  cinema 
koran.  I have  seen  almost  eye  to  eye 
with  him  for  years. 

Beaton  came  through  Cleveland  sev- 
eral years  ago  when  I first  began  viewing 
films  and  asked  me  to  come  to  his  hotel 
to  see  him,  and  I felt  a measure  of  grati- 
fication when  he  told  me  that  in  his 
years  of  visiting,  touring,  lecturing  and 
writing  he  had  never  before  asked  a film 
reviewer  to  "come  over  and  talk  about 
the  screen"  with  him.  I suspect  the  film 
industry  sees  him  as  one  of  its  more  in- 
tellectual crack-pots  who  must  be  tol- 
erated, if  not  loved — and  so  I don’t 
know  where  I stand  with  it.  But  Beat- 
on’s prophecies  have  been  so  accurately 
fulfilled  that  little  by  little  the  producers 
surely  must  feel  that  he  has  a good  deal 
which  is  worth  listening  to  and  worth 
following. 

Read  It  Several  Times 

He  sent  me  his  newest  contribution 
to  the  cinema  shelves  the  other  day.  It 
is  a booklet  of  not  quite  100  pages, 
called  A Plea  and  A Play.  He  has  pub- 
lished it  himself,  in  Hollywood.  The 
inscription  on  the  flyleaf  reads,  "To 
Ward  Marsh,  who,  I hope,  will  agree 
once  more  with  something  I have  writ- 
ten, Welford  Beaton." 

I have  read  and  read  it  several  times, 
but  even  reading  it  the  first  time,  so 
closely  and  completely  do  I agree  "once 
more”  with  Beaton,  that  it  seemed  quite 
as  if  I were  reading  something  I had 
written,  the  difference  being  that  Beaton 
has  expressed  himself  with  a clarity  and 
terseness  I rarely  possess. 

Less  Talk  Demanded 

•I  He  has  boiled  into  one  little  essay  in 
his  Plea  just  about  all  he  has  written 
for  and  against  the  talkies  since  sound 
and  dialogue  came  in.  And  his  plea 
amounts  to  a charge  that  if  the  screen 
does  not  return  to  silent  technique,  using 
no  more  dialogue  than  it  once  used  titles, 
its  doom  is  sealed.  No  one  asks  for  the 
completely  silent  screen,  but  everyone, 
most  of  all  a public  registering  its  pro- 
test at  the  box-offices,  is  demanding  less 
talk,  a wider  and  better  use  of  music, 
and  the  spoken  word  used  only  when 
the  visual  image  is  incomplete  without 
it. 

This  screen  art,  contends  Beaton,  and 
I most  heartily  concur  with  him  on  all 
points,  is  essentially  a visual  one.  The 


Silent  ^Technique 


On  This  Page 

'THE  Cleveland  Plaindealer  is  Ohio's 
l greatest  newspaper , and  in  journal- 
istic circles  is  recognized  as  one  which 
would  have  a place  on  any  intelli- 
gently compiled  list  of  the  ten  great- 
est daily  papers  in  the  United  States. 
I mention  the  standing  of  the  Plain- 
dealer  to  explain  the  extent  of  my 
surprise  and  gratification  when  I dis- 
covered it  had  devoted  a full  column 
of  valuable  space  in  its  issue  of  Sun- 
day. April  9,  to  a review  of  my 
book  A Plea  and  A Play.  The  review 
was  written  by  W.  Ward  Marsh,  one 
of  the  country’s  better  screen  com- 
mentators. With  his  permission  and 
the  Plaindealer' s approval,  the  full 
review  is  reprinted  on  this  page. — 
W.  B. 


appeal,  as  it  is  with  music,  is  straight 
to  the  emotions,  the  movies  striking 
through  the  eyes  and  music  through 
the  ears,  but  each  reaching  the  emotions 
with  as  little  tax  as  possible  on  the 
intellect. 

Dialogue  does  tax  the  mind,  the  in- 
tellect, and  pictures  told  by  dialogue 
rather  than  by  moving  images  tax,  tire 
and  eventually  exhaust  the  mind  before 
the  emotions  are  properly  aroused  and 
the  spectator  who  was  actually  rested 
after  a visit  to  the  movie  house  in  the 
silent  days  is  not  rested  today  in  the 
talkie  theatre. 

Do  Not  Meet  Requirements 

<1  No  picture  today  completely  fulfills 
the  requirements  of  silent  technique.  A 
picture,  and  this  is  my  own  example, 
coming  closer  to  silent  technique  than 
of  the  others,  would  be  Stagecoach. 
One  fulfilling  all  the  requirements  of  a 
talkie  and  yet  being  more  flexible  than 
one  would  anticipate  from  a stage  play 
would  be  Pygmalion. 

Beaton  pleads  for  more  music,  a judi- 
cious use  of  sound,  the  dropping  of  dia- 
logue when  the  players  are  too  far  from 
the  spectator  for  him  normally  to  hear 
their  voices.  He  sums  it  up  in  one  sen- 
tence, and  that  is: 

"Remedying  the  evil  of  too  much  dia- 
logue is  merely  a matter  of  developing 
intelligent  camera  technique.” 

What  Story  Is  About 

<1  He  proved  his  case  by  writing  in  "si- 
lent technique”  a script  which  he  has 
called  "A  Dog  Has  His  Day,"  a com- 
plete story  with  1 62  spoken  lines  against 
1,500  to  2,500  in  the  average  film  of 
today.  This  limitation  of  the  spoken 
word  has  in  no  way  cramped  his  style. 
There  is  no  literary  style  in  pure  cine- 


BY 

W.  WARD  MARSH 

ma,  anyway,  and  here  is  the  simple  but 
emotionally  effective  story  of  a vegeta- 
ble man  who  befriended  an  orphan  girl. 
She  grew  up,  was  given  a Scottie  puppy, 
loved  by  the  rich  young  hero  who  was 
in  turn  loved  by  the  rich  young  girl.  At 
the  climax  when  it  looked  as  if  the 
heroine’s  benefactor  would  be  crippled 
for  life,  she  entered  her  puppy  in  a dog 
show  where,  after  good  emotional  scenes, 
he  ran  off  with  first  prize,  and  was  sold 
for  an  amount  sufficient  to  pay  doctor’s 
bill  and  hospital  expenses  to  restore  her 
foster-parent  to  health — but,  as  it  is  in 
the  kind  of  fiction  we  like  best  to  read, 
the  story  ended  happily  with  her  puppy 
back  safely  in  her  arms  and  the  rich 
young  man  holding  out  his  to  receive 
both  of  them. 

Recommends  the  Book 

<1 1 most  urgently  recommend  Mr. 
Beaton’s  little  book.  It  presents  in  the 
most  concise  form  I have  yet  seen  twenty 
difficult  lessons  in  screen  writing  in  one 
easy  lesson.  More  than  that  its  appeal 
is  for  the  return  to  sanity  in  film 
making. 

I hope  he  "wins”  — and  the  new 
"blood”  coming  into  the  field  quite 
rapidly  these  days  will  see  to  it  that  he 
— and  you — eventually  will  win.  I can’t 
give  you  the  price  of  his  new  book.* 
It  can’t  be  very  high  for  it  has  only  a 
paper  cover  and  is  inexpensively  gotten 
up.  If  you  are  interested  in  the  future 
of  the  movies  and  in  one  of  the  best  dis- 
cussions of  the  day  on  films,  you  may 
reach  the  author  by  writing  to  him  in 
care  of  the  Hollywood  Spectator,  6513 
Hollywood  Boulevard,  Hollywood,  Cal. 

A copy  of  the  Annalist,  published 
about  tbe  same  time  as  Mr.  Beaton’s 
book,  gives  about  the  same  picture  as 
Beaton  does  of  the  industry,  but  differ- 
ent reasons  are  given  for  the  slump 
which  hit  the  films  in  the  second  quarter 
last  year. 

Beaton  holds  to  the  view  that  talkies 
talk  people  from  the  theatre,  and  the 
trade  papers  are  at  variance  with  Beaton. 
Good  pictures  in  the  first  runs,  weak 
ones  in  the  small  towns,  and  that  "box- 
office  poison”  squawk  which  hurt  many 
stars  and  the  industry,  too,  all  served  to 
lower  last  year’s  reports. 


★ A radio  sports  commentator  quips 
that  the  difference  between  a wrestling 
match  and  a moving  picture  is  that  the 
latter  moves.  He  must  have  missed  some 
of  the  talkies  we  have  seen. 


★ More  than  two  dozen  Hollywood 
film  publications  have  given  up  the 
ghost  during  the  Spectator’s  span  of  life. 


*Price,  One  Dollar. 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


BY 

BRUNO  DAVID  USSHER 


'Jilt*  tfltiMc  and  J)tJ  tflakerA 


O ONE  man  can  read  the  annual  re- 
port made  by  Will  H.  Hays,  as  pres- 
ident of  the  Motion  Picture  Producers 
and  Distributors  of  America,  with  any- 
thing but  keen  appreciation  of  the  so- 
cial significance  exerted  by  the  film  as 
a public  entertainment  and  educational 
medium.  Only  one  brief  and  quite  gen- 
eral reference  however  is  made  to  music 
although  the  Hays’s  summary  of  the 
trends  and  functions  of  the  cinema  in 
America  is  entitled:  "Enlarging  Scope 

of  the  Screen."  This  is  greatly  to  be 
regretted  and  does  no  justice  to  the 
large  and  artistically  high  contribution 
made  by  hundreds  of  the  best  musicians 
and  sound  engineers  to  the  cultural  and 
commercial  advancement  of  this  "art 
industry,"  as  President  Hays  aptly  calls 
it.  But  this  omission  is  characteristic 
of  a rather  prevalent  attitude  in  most 
executive  and  promotional  branches  of 
Hollywood  where  public  appreciation  of 
music  is  underrated  sadly.  And,  if  it 
is  not  actually  underrated,  then  this 
ideal  avenue  of  "salesmanship"  remains 
deplorably  deserted  to  the  disadvantage 
of  all  those  sharing  an  interest  in  the 
art  industry  as  producing,  selling  and 
individually  consuming  agents. 

Slight  Not  Intended 

<1  I am  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that 
Will  Hays  had  no  intention  of  slighting 
so  vital  a branch  of  his  art  industry  as 
that  of  music.  Neither  need  he  be  re- 
minded what  films  would  be  without 
musicians  and  music  recording  experts. 

I am  aware,  too,  that  his  written  ad- 
dress to  the  American  producers  and 
distributors  of  motion  pictures  is  not 
meant  as  an  aesthetic  dissertation.  But 
that  a paper  on  the  "Enlaring  Scope  of 
the  Screen"  should  make  repeated  ref- 
erence to  the  "most  popular  stars,  ablest 
writers,  best  directors,  most  skilful  tech- 
nicians," and  make  no  minimum  speci- 
fication of  orchestra,  composers,  con- 
ductors, writers  of  songs,  of  lyrics,  of 
singers  and  instrumentalists,  many  of 
the  latter  the  best  from  the  outstanding 
orchestras  of  the  country — that  surely 
is  strange. 

Will  Hays  devotes  three  and  a half  of 
his  twenty-six-page  report  to  "Com- 
munity Service"  and  to  "Education.” 
He  speaks  of  cooperative  contacts  with 
the  National  Education  Association  since 
1922:  he  also  speaks  of  the  cinema  com- 
mittee of  the  "International  Council  of 
Women"  and  their  objective  "educa- 
tion of  public  taste.” 

Hays's  Brief  Mention 

<J  Here  it  is  that  the  Hays  report  faint- 
ly acknowledges  music  as  a factor  in 
this  "art  industry.”  Here  he  refers  to 
the  regular  service  rendered  by  his  Hol- 
lywood office  which  "stresses  motion 


picture  appreciation  by  discussing  the 
educational  and  other  features  of  indi- 
vidual film  production.”  And  now 
comes  the  single  reference  to  music: 
"Moreover,  through  the  progress  of  this 
work  the  National  Federation  of  Music 
Clubs  has  been  added  to  the  list  of  pre- 
viewers, following  their  approval  of 
what  the  screen  has  done  to  advance  in- 
terest in  music.” 

Fortunately  for  Will  Hays  and  luck- 
ily for  those  making  film  music,  the  com- 
munity service  and  education  depart- 
ment of  the  Hays's  office  in  Hollywood 
is  headed  by  Mrs.  Thomas  G.  Winter 
and  Mrs.  H.  D.  Field,  who  perceive  and 
present  film  music  as  high  and  infinitely 
far  reaching  from  every  practical  and 
pedagogic  angle. 

Entertainment  and  Box-Office 

<J  Far  be  it  from  me  to  remind  Will 
Hays  publicly  of  what  he  must  be 
aware.  He  closes  the  very  first  para- 
graph of  his  report  with:  ".  . . there  is 
nothing  incompatible  between  the  best 
interests  of  the  box-office  and  the  kind 
of  entertainment  that  raises  the  level  of 
audience  appreciation  whatever  the  sub- 
ject treated."  And  he  proceeds  to  re- 
mind his  producers:  "The  discussion 

that  proceeds  (as  to  commercial  and 
cultural)  is  the  greatest  possible  tribute 
to  the  progress  of  the  screen,  for  it  is 
proof  of  the  fact  that  an  entertainment 
art  for  the  millions  has  risen  to  such 
high  estate  that  the  best  which  the  liv- 
ing theatre  has  been  able  to  produce  or 
which  other  artistry  can  create,  is  now 
demanded  from  the  film. 

Frankly,  it  irks  me,  a believer  in  the 
commercial,  vocational  and  artistic  func- 
tion of  music,  that  President  Hays 
should  choose  to  refer  only  to  "other 
artistry"  and  not  dignify  music  by  di- 
rect mention,  although  commensurate 
music  makes  a contribution  without 
which  even  the  best  plot,  speech,  act- 
ing and  photography  remain  incomplete 
in  their  combined  appeal.  And  by  com- 
mensurate music,  I mean  a sufficient 
amount  of  the  best  music.  Again,  the 
"best"  music  does  not  imply  a four- 
part  fugue  in  six  flats.  In  fact,  a lone, 
lowly  mouth  organ  can  prove  eloquent 
of  man’s  state  of  heart,  as  demonstrated 
by  Victor  Young  in  his  Man  of  Con- 
quest score. 

Subtlest  of  All  Factors 

<J  Cooperation  of  the  National  Federa- 
tion of  Music  Clubs  in  drawing  more 
direct  attention  to  pictures  with  mu- 
sically worthwhile  scores  is  a recog- 
nition for  which  Hollywood  musicians 
may  be  deeply  grateful  to  Mrs.  Winter 
and  Mrs.  Field.  Letters  of  inquiry  and 
acknowledgement  reaching  me  from  the 
music  research  council  of  the  National 


Education  Association  indicate  that  mu- 
sically well-equipped  pictures  may  even- 
tually count  on  an  enormous  number 
of  financially  vastly  profitable  endorse- 
ments by  public  school  music  teachers 
throughout  the  country.  Will  Hays, 
when  warning  producers  that  they  must 
not  rely  on  American  bookings  alone, 
but  calculate  sales  appeal  also  in  terms 
and  tastes  of  foreign  showings,  might 
well  have  included  music  as  a big  and 
indispensable  aid. 

Of  course,  music,  subtlest  of  all  cine- 
matic factors,  is  still  in  its  beginnings, 
certainly  quantitatively.  I wonder  at 
times  if  Hollywood  musicians  them- 
selves fully  vision  their  social  artistic  re- 
sponsibilities. Again,  they  must  have 
the  articulate  support  from  lay  music 
lovers  and  educators  alike  in  order  to 
convince  certain  ignorantly  economic 
producers. 

Strong  But  Not  Noisy 

<J|  Victor  Young's  extensive  background 
score  for  Man  of  Conquest  forms  a dra- 
matically indispensable  and  generally 
strong  contribution  to  this  Republic 
production.  It  is  a strong,  yet  not  noisy 
score  for  a film  moving  vividly  in  terms 
of  physical  action  and  emotional  stress. 
Some  day,  a chapter  in  film  music  his- 
tory will  have  to  be  devoted  to  music 
in  films  based  on  American  bibliography 
and  history,  and  the  Young  score  will 
be  listed  as  an  example  for  its  thought- 
ful and  unobvious  use  of  American  mu- 
sic. Naturally,  pictures  such  as  Alex- 
ander's Ragtime  Band  or  the  Castle 
films  will  be  included,  but  more  as  film 
musical  documentations  of  tunes.  In 
those  pictures,  the  popular  songs  a score 
of  years  ago  are  the  excuse  for  the 
pictures. 

In  Young's  score,  these  American 
tunes  fulfil  a higher  function,  for  they 
attest  the  Americanism  of  Sam  Houston 
and  his  period.  Victor  Young  has  gone 
to  these  tunes  as  a folklorist  does  to 
identify  a race  by  their  songs  and  in 
turn  to  diagnose  the  character  of  songs 
by  the  milieu  from  which  they  sprang 
and  to  which  they  gave  living  color. 

Parallel  or  Portent 

<|  There  are  times  when  I should  have 
preferred  more  music,  and  when  I was 
conscious  of  music  being  limited  to 
rather  brief  episodes:  while  rapidly  and 
radically  changing  scenes  in  Man  of 
Conquest  would  have  made  it  difficult, 
no  doubt,  to  write  even  "against  the 
scene.”  One  is  apt  to  grow  weary  of 
too  much  action  accent  hitting,  or  shall 
I call  it  action  metric  music?  Music 
can  match  the  general  pace  of  a scene, 
or  it  can  go  "against"  the  scene  by  serv- 
ing as  an  outside,  narratively  reflecting 
commentator.  It  can  prove  an  auditory 


PAGE  FOURTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


“flash-back”  by  relating  the  scene  cur- 
rent on  the  screen  with  a scene  or  dia- 
logue seen  or  heard  earlier  in  the  picture. 

Thus  it  may  be  “motivating”  music. 
Too,  it  can  express  premeditation  and 
foretell  or  foreshadow  what  may  be 
said  or  may  happen.  Victor  Young  has 
applied  these  various  principles.  What 
makes  this  score  significant  is  that  he 
has  not  written  a prescription  for  him- 
self and  dosed  himself  time  and  again. 
He  has  analyzed,  scene  by  scene,  I 
would  judge,  and  then  diagnosed  wheth- 
er he  needed  paralleling  action  music, 
or  music  of  portentous  character,  what- 
ever this  portent. 

Campfire  Not  Moonlight 

There  is  a danger  of  expecting  some 
metaphorical  nightingale  to  go  into 
some  belcanto  by  way  of  some  properly 
sweetened  violins  or  flutes.  In  Man  of 
Conquest  the  heroine,  when  chided  by 
her  mother  over  the  dish-pan  that  her 
friend  still  had  a wife  living  somewhere, 
goes  out  to  him  and  tells  him  of  her 
love  and  of  her  loyalty  in  defiance  of 
all  what  the  “nice  girl”  of  that  tightly- 
laced  period  would  not  do.  “Now  I 
have  said  it,”  she  punctuates  and  under- 
lines her  disregard  of  convention.  And 
he,  still  afraid  to  claim  her  until  he  had 
established  his  claim  to  a new  existence, 
fights  within  himself,  not  to  smother 
her  and  hold  her  with  all  that  is  yearn- 
ing in  him  for  her.  Perhaps  there  should 
have  been  music,  a kind  of  music  far 
different  from  Moonlight  and  Roses,  of 
course. 

Trying  It  Either  Way 

<|  It  would  have  had  to  be  music  com- 
pounded of  every  dramatic  psychologi- 
cal motif,  stirring  and  restraining  the 
two  lovers.  Could  it  be  done  in  this 
brief  campfire  scene  with  its  brief  cres- 
cendo of  action  and  deliberate  speech? 
Are  the  subsequent  scenes  such  as  to 
compose  through  them  in  that  vein 
without  underlaying  a background  mu- 
sic quite  alien  to  them?  Having  wit- 
nessed Man  of  Conquest  once  only,  I 
cannot  go  beyond  speculating.  Most 
times,  one  can  only  (attempt  to)  judge 
what  one  has  heard.  What  one  wishes 
to  hear  is  another  matter,  and  if  by 
some  miracle  one’s  wishes  were  fulfilled 
in  a film  musical  laboratory,  then  still 
the  test  of  audition  might  go  against 
one’s  wishes. 

I have  just  seen  again  You  Can’t 
Take  It  With  You.  I believe  more 
could  have  been  done  with  it  musically 
than  actually  was  done.  One  scene, 
however,  impressed  me  as  effective  with- 
out “benefit  of  music.”  I am  referring 
to  the  park  scene,  when  the  two  inartic- 
ulate lovers  sit  on  a bench  and  a little 
waterfall  in  the  background  furnishes 
sufficient  urgency  of  action  and  sound. 
No  “Caro  Nome”  of  any  kind  could 
have  added  proof  that  these  two  young 


things  are  dumbly  crazy  about  each 
other  and  will  go  through  with  it. 

No  Sausages,  Please 

<5  Of  course,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  while  the  beau- 
tifully low  dialogue  of  the  two  sweet- 
hearts in  You  Can’t  Take  It  With  You 
is  in  its  present  form  a sort  of  verbal 
song  of  their  hearts,  the  Man  of  Con- 
quest declaration  of  love  could  have 
been  strengthened  by  music.  I mean 
that  music  should  have  commenced  pos- 
sibly prior  to  the  dishwashing  scene 
and  that  scenes  following  the  campfire 
episode  should  have  been  transferred  or 
transposed  so  that  Young  could  have 
composed  through  them  without  dis- 
torting their  mood. 

That  would  imply  the  composer’s 
presence  when  the  script  is  put  together, 
when  the  action  is  photographed  and 
when  the  film  is  assembled,  cut  and 
edited.  I will  be  told  that  this  would 
mean  paying  the  composer  for  six  days’ 
or  six  weeks'  more  or  less  hectic  efforts. 

I will  be  told  that  this  would  make 
music  too  heavy  an  item  in  the  budget. 

As  Composers  View  It 

The  better  composers  in  Hollywood 
today,  I believe,  would  rather  go  on  a 
weekly  salary  of  moderate  size  and  have 
the  same  creative  time  privileges  accord- 
ed other  artists  in  the  film  world,  than  be 
compelled  to  perform  some  legerdemain 
at  a speed  which  is  bound  to  limit  some 
of  the  best  in  them.  The  trouble  is  that 
producers  too  often  still  think  of  music 
as  electrically  speeded  sausage  machines. 
I have  no  intention  of  applying  this  re- 
mark to  the  producer  of  Man  of  Con- 
quest, for  I understand  Republic  studios 
believe  in  ample  scores.  On  the  whole, 
however,  Hollywood  producers  and  di- 
rectors underestimate  the  function  of 
music  in  relation  to  films.  They  are 
unaware  of  the  “script  difficulties”  of 
a composer,  script  difficulties  far  more 
complex  and  subtle  t han  those  of  writ- 
ers and  directors  because  the  composer 
must  fit  his  script  to  that  of  the  screen 
playwright  and  director. 

It  might  cost  studios  a little  more  to 
put  a composer  on  a weekly  salary  basis 
from  the  script  stage  on,  than  hand  him 
a flat  sum  for  writing  a score,  yet  the 
difference  would  be  worth  the  increased 
calibre  of  the  film  by  virtue  of  a film- 
ically  finer  score.  I venture  to  say  that 
the  better  composers  would  be  willing 
to  sit  in  during  the  script  stage  before 
their  weekly  stipend  period  commences, 
just  for  the  sake  of  producing  some- 
thing more  artistic.  One  reason  for  the 
number  of  musical  blowouts  are  pre- 
vailing racetrack  tempi  in  making  scores. 

Within  Spirit  of  Time 

If  Victor  Young  has  conceived  a score 
for  Man  of  Conquest  which  keeps  with- 
in the  spirit  of  the  times.  It  was  not 


wb  one  aid  ca;  1 an  “instrumental” 
time.  The  use  of  singing  voices  in  the 
main  i.itle  and  the  closing  sequence  is  a 
thoughtful  touch  and,  used  in  both 
places,  seems  to  frame  the  picture  like 
the  fore  and  end  page  decorations  of  a 
book.  Patriotic  and  folk  songs  are 
drawn  on.  I stress  “drawn  on”  because 
Young  adapts  sometimes  not  more  than 
the  characteristic  melodic  turn  out  of 
which  he  evolves  his  own  themes. 

Doing  this,  he  has  avoided  every- 
thing which  would  give  the  score  the 
smattering  of  an  American  medley  of 
the  old  style  band  music  style,  while 
nevertheless  setting  atmosphere  and  aim- 
ing at  a heart  response  which  lives  in 
everyone  to  whom  this  story  of  Tennes- 
see and  Texas  means  more  than  dead 
and  dusty  history.  Use  of  a little  reed 
organ  only  in  the  wedding  scene  was 
better  than  anything  elaborate  Young 
could  have  chosen,  for  this  is  the  story 
of  a plain  man,  though  nevertheless  the 
story  of  a man  of  strong  feelings  and 
strong  determination. 

Fine  Sense  of  Proportion 

<1  Young  has  never  tried  to  glorify  Sam 
Houston  or  make  scenes  bigger  beyond 
their  actual  significance.  In  this  score 
he  reminds  me  of  the  man  who  illum- 
inates with  a touch  of  color,  and  with 
gold  at  times,  the  large  initials  at  the 
top  of  a chapter  page  or  paragraph.  The 
result  is  that  sometimes  the  text  itself 
has  been  left  black  and  white,  as  it  were, 
at  seemingly  long  stretches.  He  has  not 
used  his  colors  gaudily  either.  Houston 
"stewing”  in  his  river  boat  cabin, 
brooding  over  the  desertion  of  his  wife 
could  not  have  been  painted  a lonelier 
figure  than  by  the  sound  of  a mouth 
organ.  Actually  trick-muted  violins. 

The  simple  fiddle  tune  in  the  camp 
scene  again  demonstrates  a fine  sense  of 
proportion  without  being  an  attempt 
at  realism.  Time  and  again,  I was  sur- 
prised at  the  absence  of  music,  yet  the 
use  of  the  delicate  little  tune  Come  to 
the  Rower  as  a riding-fighting  tune 
when  Houston’s  Texans  charge  the 
Mexican  army,  is  a brilliant  touch  in  its 
winsome  simplicity.  In  the  battle  scene, 
too.  Young  does  not  make  grandilo- 
quent war  music.  He  treats  it  as  drama 
of  great  suspense  to  his  characters  and 
to  a man  to  whom  Texas  means  future 
life  and  love. 

Thematic  Development 

By  no  means  do  I wish  to  give  the 
impression  that  Young  has  played  pure- 
ly the  miniaturist.  It  is  lithographic 
music  rather  than  color  printing  most 
of  the  time.  There  is  real  seething  in 
the  oil  fire  sequence,  but  the  slowly 
dragging,  winding  theme  for  the  retreat, 
the  curiously,  sweltering  suspense  music 
before  the  battle  are  curiously  graphic 
in  their  discard  of  everything  superflu- 
ously coloristic.  Young’s  musical  Amer- 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  FIFTEEN 


icanism  is  cleverly  instanceo  with  a 
hymn-like  melody  based  on  My  Coun- 
try 'tis  of  hee,  expressive  also  of  Presi- 
dent Jackson's  devotion  to  his  country. 
Altogether  Young  has  done  more  by 
way  of  thematic  development  than  can 
be  pointed  out  here.  Quite  unusual  is 
his  process  of  transforming  an  old- 
fashioned  polka  dance  theme  into  a 
love  motif.  (Houston  meets  his  second 
wife  at  a dance  in  the  White  House.) 
There  is  an  earlier  love  theme — the  first 
Mrs.  Houston  was  a Tennesseean — and 
so  Young  has  gone  to  a Southern  court- 
ing song:  I Knew  a Lady  So  Kind  and 
Sweet. 

A Reaction  Score 

<1  All  in  all.  one  might  describe  Victor 
Young’s  Man  of  Conquest  music  a 
“reaction”  score,  although  the  tie  be- 
tween action  is  close.  The  music  never 
attempts  to  stampede  emotions.  In  the 
midst  of  battle,  for  instance,  Houston’s 
aide  hauls  down  the  enemy  flag  and 
hoists  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  A bullet 
strikes  him  down,  but  sinking  to  the 
ground  he  pulls  the  colors  to  the  full 
height  of  the  mast.  Young  enters  neith- 
er into  tonal  heroics  nor  a dirge,  but 
over  the  tide  of  sound  rises  a bugle  call, 
softly,  yet  in  significant  triumph.  Or, 
to  come  back  to  his  music  for  the 
charge:  No  blaring  bugles;  the  piccolo 
trills  that  quaint  Come  to  the  Bower 
motif  over  sustained  notes  of  drums  and 
strings.  (From  a modernist  standpoint 
the  bunching  of  E-flat,  E-major  and  F- 
major  is  noteworthy.)  It  tells  enough 
of  onrush  and  tension. 

I have  already  mentioned  the  psy- 
chological effect  of  the  retreat  motif, 
showing  weary  riders  and  weary  horses. 
The  clinging  sound  of  a dull  vibraphone 
emphasizes  the  heaviness  of  spirit  and 
body  dragged  on  seemingly  without 
aim.  The  use  of  Indian  themes  or  that 
naive  barn  dance  with  a little  plumage 
borrowed  from  Turkey  In  the  Straw 
bring  the  score  again  down  to  immedi- 
ate reality. 

Man  of  Conquest  is  not  a grandilo- 
quent picture  although  it  does  recite 
sentiments  which  will  re-echo  in  an 
America  of  sane  patriotism.  Young  has 
not  turned  out  the  musical  honor  guard 
and  fired  his  musical  musketry  just  for 
the  love  of  banking  away.  I say  again 
that  I wish  he  had  added  more  music 
yet,  for  this  is  a score  of  unusual  blend- 
ing of  action  and  reaction  music,  writ- 
ten with  an  unusual  and  inventive 
craftsmanship. 


★ Foreign  films  are  growing  in  popu- 
larity in  this  country.  There  are  now 
eight  houses  in  Los  Angeles  screening 
such  films.  This  growth  of  cosmospoli- 
tan  taste  is  one  of  the  factors  which 
eventually  will  force  Hollywood  to 
abandon  the  making  of  shoddy  films 
and  concentrate  upon  quality  products. 


ikti  Holllficeod 

GOOD  sized  nail  is  hit  resoundingly 
on  the  head  by  B.  R.  Crisler,  writ- 
ing in  the  New  York  Times  on  the 
stereotyped  “glamour”  with  which  Hol- 
lywood is  wont  to  encase  its  feminine 
players.  One  of  the  most  baneful  influ- 
ences on  the  motion  picture  art,  he 
opines,  is  the  artifice  of  make-up  and 
costuming,  which  have  slowly  ripened 
into  “monstrous  perfection  . . . through 
the  activities  of  those  painstaking  pyg- 
malions”  of  the  make-up  and  wardrobe 
departments. 

“For,”  Crisler  contends,  “in  the 
movies  glamour  is  strictly  an  applied 
art:  a beauty  not  even  skin  deep  which 
melts  in  the  sun,  streaks  in  the  rain  . . . 
a mask  to  be  removed  at  night,  expos- 
ing the  tired,  all-too-human  tissues  be- 
neath. And  this,  precisely,  is  the  basic 
fallacy  of  the  glamour  concept:  that  it 
violates  the  most  fundamental  canon  of 
what  remains,  after  all,  an  inescapably 
naturalistic  art.  Hollywood’s  denatured 
dream  girls  are,  of  necessity,  spiritually 
static,  with  no  more  ‘soul’  than  a geisha. 
With  the  make-up  man  constantly 
standing  by  to  pat  the  perspiration  from 
her  face  and  with  ‘wardrobe’  dancing 
attendance  to  guard. her  gown  (specially 
designed  to  minimize  anatomical  de- 
fects) from  wrinkles,  she  is  far  above 
the  plane  of  mortal  infirmities,  and  con- 
sequently is  as  uninteresting,  psycho- 
logically, as  a statue  in  a museum." 

Who  Is  Who? 

€J  Truly  spoken.  Moreover,  it  is  not 
only  humanness  actresses  are  robbed  of 
by  this  striving  for  superficial  perfec- 
tion, but  also  individuality,  so  stand- 
ardized have  the  methods  of  the  glam- 
our craftsmen  become.  Make-up  men 
arc  by  far  the  greatest  offenders.  Many 
young  actresses  are  placed  under  an 
actual  handicap  in  impressing  them- 
selves on  the  public  mind.  Almost  all 
of  them  look  alike.  Especially  is  this 
to  be  noticed  in  the  publicity  stills  ap- 
pearing in  the  press.  Not  uncommonly 
I have  difficulty  in  recognizing  an  estab- 
lished player,  and  more  often  than  not 
in  the  case  of  a newer  actress  I have  to 
consult  the  caption  before  the  photo- 
graph conveys  any  impression  of  an  en- 
tity, and  this  despite  the  fact  that  I am 
in  close  touch  with  the  industry.  Such 
pictures  are  dominantly  but  a repetition 
of  the  familiar  sweepingly  arched  eye- 
brows, suspiciously  long  eyelashes,  and 
lips  bowed  like  ravens’  wings. 

Anachronism  Created 

CJ  Where  the  standardized  make-up  has 
its  most  distracting  influence,  with  re- 
spect to  the  dramatic  values  of  motion 
pictures,  is  in  costume  dramas,  where 
the  faces  of  the  feminine  players  gen- 
erally create  a gross  anachronism. 


BY 

BERT  HARLEN 

The  other  day,  while  lunching  at  a 
studio  commissary,  I looked  forth  upon 
an  aggregation  of  women  at  a near-by 
table  who  were  arrayed  in  costumes  of 
the  Civil  War  or  late  Victorian  period, 
at  least  of  an  era  when  make-up  was 
used  sparingly,  if  at  all,  by  women. 
Each  actress,  however,  was  done  up  as 
though  she  were  in  the  Follies.  Why 
directors  allow  such  violations  of  the 
visual  compositions  upon  which  the 
dramatic  potency  of  motion  pictures 
principally  is  dependent,  is  something 
I could  never  understand.  Sums  of 
money  and  great  pains  and  time  are  ex- 
pended on  gathering  historical  data  and 
working  for  authenticity  in  the  screen 
play,  the  sets,  properties,  costumes,  and 
then  feminine  players  are  permitted  to 
insert  faces  into  the  scene  which  look 
made-up  for  a burlesque. 

* * 

He  Carries  On 

WICE  I have  seen  him  alight  late  at 
night  from  one  of  those  rickety  and 
grimy  “V"  street  cars  which  service  Ver- 
mont Avenue  of  Los  Angeles,  and  dis- 
appear into  the  darkness  of  a neighbor- 
hood of  apartment  houses  which  is 
barely  respectable.  At  first  glance  one 
might  think  his  clothes  nobby.  They 
are  well  pressed,  of  good  tailoring,  and 
the  brim  of  his  hat  is  jauntily  turned 
down  all  around.  But  closer  inspection, 
especially  of  the  slanting  heels  of  his 
shoes,  tells  a different  story. 

Once  his  creation  of  a country  boy 
on  the  screens  of  the  world,  a strangely 
wistful,  dreamy  fellow,  sprung  from 
the  earth,  appealed  to  millions.  His 
name  was  as  important  in  the  motion 
picture  firmament  as  that  of  Charles 
Chaplin  or  Mary  Pickford:  had  his  own 
studio.  It  is  a name  which  would  be 
prominent  in  any  history  of  the  great 
industry. 

To  No  One's  Credit 

<J  The  circumstances  attending  his  ap- 
parent difficulty  I am  not  acquainted 
with.  Maybe  he  is  too  proud  to  accept 
financial  assistance.  More  than  likely 
little  or  none  has  been  proffered.  It 
would  seem,  though,  that  some  one 
among  the  famous  and  influential  Hol- 
lywood personalities  he  has  known  in 
the  past,  could  offer  or  procure  for  him 
some  position  in  motion  picture  work 
which  would  enable  him  to  live  on  a 
respectable  scale — out  of  sentiment,  if 
for  no  other  reason:  out  of  respect  for 
a figure  who  played  so  great  a part  in 
the  building  of  the  industry  which  has 
showered  them  with  success  and  riches 
so  abundantly,  and  partly  through  the 
grace  of  Providence.  From  some  aspects 
Hollywood  seems  a very  callous  place. 


PAGE  SIXTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


yieu?  £pectatct  Jwmat  pleaAeA  tfeaderA 


Don  Ameche — Congratulations  on  your  anni- 
versary number.  Your  record  is  one  of  con- 
tinual achievement  and  I know  that  all  Holly- 
wood joints  me  in  wishing  you  many  more 
years  of  success. 

Cary  Grant — With  anything  as  candid,  cour- 
ageous and  constructive  as  the  Spectator, 
the  bigger  the  better.  Congratulations  on  the 
new  size  and  format. 

Kay  Francis — You  could  print  it  on  butcher 
paper  and  it  would  still  be  on  my  "must" 
list.  But  the  new  size  and  shiny  paper  are 
a definite  improvement. 

Frank  McDonald — I want  to  congratulate  you 
on  the  latest  Spectator;  the  new  form  and 
set-up  is  very  attractive  and  bright. 

Barbara  Stanwyck — You  deserve  a few  thou- 
sand more  subscribers. 

David  Niven — The  Spectator's  contents  leave 
no  room  for  improvement,  so  I suppose  if  you 
had  to  do  something,  there  was  nothing  left 
but  to  make  it  larger  and  smoother.  Con- 
gratulations on  a fine  job. 

Bob  Burns — Your  new  paper  is  slick;  your 
editor  always  has  been. 

Joy  Hodges — Greetings  to  the  Spectator  on 
its  fourteenth  birthday,  and  congratulations 
on  the  new  dress  and  make-up. 

Warner  Baxter — The  Spectator  may  still  be  in 
its  teens,  but  it  is  a wise,  wise  child.  May 
it  live  to  a ripe  old  age,  Welford. 

Alice  Faye — You  can  be  justly  proud  of  your 
fine  record.  My  wishes  for  your  continued 
success. 

Chester  Morris — Nice  to  see  the  Hollywood 
Spectator  in  its  brand  new  1939  clothes. 
Looks  like  a honey  . . . congratulations! 
Lucille  Ball — The  Spectator  has  grown  up  in 
size  and  dress.  The  new  format  fits  my  read- 
ing table  perfectly. 

William  Keighley — It  all  proves  that  a con- 
structive editorial  policy  pays. 

Richard  Greene — Your  opinions  are  a price- 
less service  to  the  industry.  Keep  up  the 
good  work. 

Sonja  Henie — Heartiest  wishes  for  your  con- 
tinued success. 

Humphrey  Bogart — The  best  of  luck  to  the 
revitalized  Spectator  in  its  new  form. 

Priscilla  Lane — I like  the  Spectator  in  its  new 
garb. 

Madeleine  Carroll — Good  work,  Welford.  I 
like  the  new  size  and  your  method  of  han- 
dling reviews  of  extraordinary  pictures. 
Tyrone  Power  — Birthday  greetings  to  the 
Spectator.  It's  the  top. 

Wendy  Barrie — Congratulations  on  the  new 
size  and  make-up  of  the  Hollywood  Spec- 
tator. I like  it  even  better  in  this  new,  larger, 
easy-to-read  format. 

Bryan  Foy — May  the  Spectator  have  many 
more  years  of  Beaton  success. 

John  Cromwell — It  always  has  been  a pleas- 
ure to  read  the  Spectator  for  its  constructive 
comments  on  screen  affairs.  Its  new.  form 
adds  to  the  pleasure. 

Joel  McCrea — Congratulations  on  your  new 
Spectator. 

William  Dieterle  — The  enlarged  Spectator 
should  allow  this  worthy  publication  to  mate- 
rially increase  its  scope. 

Errol  Flynn — I wish  the  Spectator  the  great- 
est possible  good  fortune  under  its  new 
policy. 

Fred  MacMurray — Happiness. 

Olivia  de  Havilland — If  the  first  issue  of  your 
enlarged  paper  is  any  indication,  my  inter- 
est, which  is  already  great,  is  going  to  be 
substantially  enhanced. 


On  This  Page 

HILE  we  were  so  busy  getting 
out  a Spectator  in  a new  form 
which  would  please  us,  it  never  oc- 
curred to  us  to  wonder  how  its  read- 
ers would  like  it.  But  after  the  last 
issue  appeared,  all,  dolled  up  in  its 
new  clothes,  we  not.  for  long  were 
left  in  doubt  aboaf  how  it  pleased 
others.  Apparently  we  fashioned  bet- 
ter than  we  expected  or  underestimat- 
ed the  degree  of  friendship  readers 
have  for  the  Spectator,  for  We  were 
totally  unprepared  for  the  avalanche 
of  approving  messages  which  poured 
in  on  it. 

In  the  belief  that  readers  outside 
of  Hollywood  will  be  interested  in 
learning  how  the  Spectator  is  regard- 
ed by  its  neighbors,  we  asked  the 
publicity  departments  of  the  various 
studios  to  secure  for  us  statements  for 
publication  to  amplify  those  already 
received  by  word  of  mouth,  letter, 
telephone  and.  in  not  a few  cases,  by 
telegraph.  On  this  page.  then,  is 
what  Hollywood  thinks  of  the  Spec- 
tator. 


Lee  Tracy — Though  it  won't  fit  with  my  old 
file  of  the  Spectator  which  I have  kept  for 
years.  I'll  be  starting  a new  one  with  this 
new,  slick-looking  size.  Altogether,  a definite 
forward  step. 

George  Brent — I'm  delighted  to  see  the  Spec- 
tator take  on  added  significance. 

Andy  Devine — Happy  birthday  and  lots  of 
luck  in  the  new  get-up. 

Max  Steiner — Congratulations  to  you,  Wel- 
ford. 

Gregory  Ratoff  — Congratulations,  Welford. 
Your  Spectator  should  get  the  award  for  the 
best  production  of  the  decade.  My  wishes 
for  many  more  happy  birthdays. 

Irene  Hervey — Felicitations  on  your  anniver- 
sary, and  best  wishes  for  many  happy 
readers. 

Leo  Carrillo — The  new  dress  and  make-up 
of  the  Spectator  now  match  the  high  qual- 
ity of  its  contents.  I always  have  enjoyed 
reading  the  magazine  and  will  like  it  even 
more  in  its  new  garb. 

John  Mack  Brown — Happy  birthday,  pardner, 
and  keep  calling  your  shots. 

Steffi  Duna — "Fine  feathers  make  fine  birds," 
it  is  said,  and  certainly  the  Spectator  is  more 
than  worthy  of  the  improvement  in  paper 
and  size.  It  is  now  made-up  in  a manner  to 
fit  its  high  quality.  It  is  one  magazine  I 
never  fail  to  read. 

Bette  Davis- — Congratulations  to  Welford 
Beaton  upon  the  increased  size  of  the  Spec- 
tator. 

Rob  Wagner — If  the  Spectator  had  to  be  im- 
proved, the  only  way  to  do  it  was  to  make 
it  typographically  more  attractive,  because 
the  literary  quality  has  always  been  at  its 
peak.  A long  life  and  a merry  one! 

Charlie  McCarthy  — Congratulations  to  the 
new  Spectator,  and  let  the  sparks  fly.  Ditto 
from  Bergen. 

Henry  Koster — Best  of  luck  to  the  new  Spec- 
tator. 


Hal  B.  Wallis — The  new  format  of  the  Spec- 
tator gives  your  worthy  publication  the  addi- 
tional importance  that  it  merits. 

Jack  Benny — Hollywood's  best  magazine  be- 
fore; the  world's  now. 

Bing  Crosby — You  have  a real  message,  Wel- 
ford. You  deserve  a swell  new  suit  like  this 
slick  paper. 

Jane  Withers — To  Mr.  Beaton  and  the  Specta- 
tor, greetings,  and  may  you  always  be 
happy.  P.S.  It’s  my  thirteenth  birthday,  too! 
foe  Pasternak — Heartiest  congratulations  on 
your  fourteenth  anniversary,  and  best  wishes 
for  continued  success. 

Lloyd  Bacon — Your  new  format  indicates  an- 
other important  step  forward. 

J.  Carrol  Naish — I have  been  waiting  for  an 
opportunity  to  tell  you  what  an  influence  you 
are  to  good  motion  picture  production.  In 
sound  and  action  the  industry  is  following 
your  advice  day  by  day.  I have  noticed  the 
trend. 

Allan  Dwan — Anniversary  greetings.  Yours 
is  a brilliant  record. 

Claudette  Colbert — Slick  paper  or  that  un- 
shiny stuff,  Welford.  You  have  what  it  takes, 
no  matter  what  the  material. 

Crane  Wilbur — Congratulations  to  you,  Wel- 
ford Beaton. 

Henry  King — It  is  we  who  celebrate  the  Spec- 
tator's thirteenth  birthday  and  its  attractive 
new  form.  Its  intelligent,  penetrating  criti- 
cism is  a constructive  factor  in  the  motion 
picture  industry. 

Juanita  Quigley — Many  happy  returns,  Mr. 
Beaton. 

Bob  Hope — Congrats,  Welford,  on  the  new 
Spectator.  This  is  my  tenth  year  on  the  sub- 
scription list — or  is  it  twenty? 

Irving  Cummings — My  blessings  on  the  Spec- 
tator and  its  justly  proud  father,  Welford. 
Hally  Chester,  of  Universal's  "Little  Tough 
Guys" — Congratulations,  mister.  Not  a bad- 
looking  sheet. 

Frank  Borzage — No  dispute  as  to  which  mag- 
azine is  best  in  your  line. 

Henry  Blanke — I am  glad  to  note  that  the 
Spectator  continues  to  improve. 

Norman  Foster — To  Welford  Beaton.  Many 
happy  returns  of  the  day  to  you  and  your 
Spectator. 

Nan  Grey  — Greetings  on  your  fourteenth 
anniversary,  and  loads  of  luck  and  pros- 
perity. 

Gracie  and  Georgie — Many  happy  returns  of 
subscriptions.  You  have  our  regards. 

Wesley  Ruggles — Come  over  and  have  lunch 
with  me,  Welford.  I want  to  buy  it  in  cele- 
bration. 

Sidney  Lanfield — May  the  Spectator's  four- 
teenth year  be  its  best. 

Mischa  Auer — Congratulations  to  the  Spec- 
tator on  its  fourteenth  anniversary.  The  old- 
er you  get,  the  better  you  look. 

George  Archainbaud — Your  staff  is  tops — 
the  magazine  is  great,  Welford. 

Michael  Curtiz — Now  the  Spectator  will  be 
able  to  render  increased  service  to  the  in- 
dustry. 

Cesar  Romero — My  sincere  wishes  for  many 
more  fruitful  years. 

Cecil  B.  deMille — "Union  Pacific"  isn't  stream- 
lined like  your  new  magazine,  but  I hope  it's 
as  good  a show. 

Nancy  Kelly — Congratulations  to  you  and  the 
new  Spectator.  From  one  of  your  many  ad- 
mirers. 

(Continued  on  page  19) 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  SEVENTEEN 


BY 

INA  ROBERTS 


ficckd  and  'Jitm* 


Pennsylvania  D.A.R. 

IJ  This  organization  has  a national  mo- 
tion picture  chairman  and  also  a motion 
picture  chairman  for  each  state.  The 
chairman  for  Pennsylvania,  Mrs.  Ray- 
mond H.  Bear,  reports  that  62  of  the 
127  chapters  in  her  state  have  motion 
picture  chairmen,  that  25  chapters  are 
cooperating  with  other  organizations, 
that  1 8 have  one  meeting  a year  de- 
voted to  motion  pictures,  that  35  chap- 
ters report  satisfactory  cooperation  with 
local  theatre  managers,  that  nine  chap- 
ters have  active  junior  members. 

Mrs.  Bear  also  states  that  double  fea- 
tures are  being  eliminated  gradually  and 
that  her  chapters  are  active  in  placing 
study  guides  and  stills  in  schools  and 
libraries. 

Mentioned  as  outstanding  in  film 
work  is  the  Berks  County  Chapter,  in 
Reading,  Pennsylvania,  Miss  Grace 
Frame,  chairman.  This  chapter  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Forums,  started  last  September,  whose 
president  is  the  English  teacher  in  the 
high  school.  The  schools  have  photo- 
play appreciation  classes. 

Miss  Frame  won  the  national  prize 
from  Hollywood  for  securing  the  great- 
est number  of  subscriptions  to  the 
D.A.R.  Motion  Picture  Guide. 

This  seems  to  be  a fine  report,  espe- 
cially when  it  is  remembered  that  film 
work  is  only  one  of  the  many  activities 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution. 

Greater  Detroit  Picture  Council 

The  Greater  Detroit  Motion  Picture 
Council,  Mr.  W.  W.  Whittinghill, 
president,  has  the  following  list  of  well 
defined  aims:  (a)  to  secure  and  dis- 

tribute information  concerning  the  com- 
plete programs  of  the  motion  picture 
industry;  (b)  to  emphasize  parental  re- 
sponsibility in  motion  picture  selection; 
(c)  to  know  and  cooperate  with  theatre 
managers;  (d)  to  investigate  and  evalu- 
ate film  productions;  (e)  to  support  and 
publicize  approved  films;  (f)  to  work 
cooperatively  with  agencies  in  reducing 
violations  of  good  taste  in  advertising; 
(g)  to  urge  booking  of  more  educa- 
tional and  travel  films  in  community 
theatres;  (h)  to  voice  opinions  in  con- 
structive manner  concerning  those  ac- 
tivities of  the  industry  and  theatres 
which  are  considered  to  be  detrimental 
to  the  welfare  of  audiences;  (i)  to  urge 
the  use  of  approved  films  in  all  com- 
munity centers;  (j)  to  keep  informed 
on  all  phases  of  film  legislation,  produc- 
tion, distribution  and  use,  including  the 
study  of  international  film  problems; 
(k)  to  cooperate  with  all  public  agen- 
cies in  a program  of  better  films;  (1)  to 
initiate  public  relation  programs;  (m) 
to  integrate  and  coordinate  all  program 


activities  of  the  Council;  (n)  to  report 
and  appraise  the  result  of  these  pro- 
grams. 

The  Hobby  Family 

Libraries  should  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  Warner  Brothers  will  produce,  this 
summer,  a picture  to  be  titled  The  Hob- 
by Family.  The  story  concerns  a fam- 
ily whose  members  indulge  in  assorted 
hobbies.  Henry  O’Neill  will  be  the 
head  of  the  family;  Jane  Bryan  will 
have  the  feminine  lead  as  his  daughter. 

There  is  a wealth  of  good  books 
about  hobbies  and  libraries  have  ever 
been  active  in  circulating  these.  With 
the  times  tending  toward  more  leisure, 
the  subject  of  hobbies  becomes  increas- 
ingly important.  The  pensions  of  many 
retired  persons  are  sufficient  for  living 
expenses,  but  do  not  allow  a margin  to 
take  care  of  the  expense  that  must  be 
incurred  if  leisure  is  to  be  enjoyed  or 
become  of  benefit.  Of  course,  books  are 
a blessing  but  no  one  can  read  all  of 
the  time.  Many  of  these  retired  people 
are  alone  in  the  world  and  for  these  to 
make  a home  would  be  a lonely  way 
out.  An  inexpensive  hobby  is  one  sat- 
isfactory solution  of  the  problem. 

It  seems  difficult  to  believe  there  are 
individuals  who  do  not  know  there  are 
a large  number  of  books  that  will  great- 
ly increase  the  benefit  and  enjoyment  to 
be  gained  from  riding  a hobby  horse. 
Yet  on  one  occasion,  after  I had  broad- 
cast an  "Everyman’s  Treasure  House” 
program  consisting  in  part  of  a list  of 
books  on  the  making  of  marionettes,  a 
man  came  to  the  Cleveland  Library  and 
said  he  had  been  making  marionettes  for 
years  but  that,  until  he  heard  the  radio 
talk,  he  did  not  know  that  there  would 
be  books  that  would  help  him. 

A Study  Club  Suggestion 

This  is  the  season  when  most  clubs 
prepare  their  programs  for  next  season. 
Why  do  not  history  clubs,  and  also 
those  including  some  study  of  history, 
in  their  year’s  activities,  plan  this  work 
in  connection  with  coming  important 
historical  films'1  This  idea,  if  adopted 
by  clubs  throughout  the  country,  would 
be  a challenge  to  producers  to  make  his- 
torical films  as  authentic  as  to  plot  as 
they  already  are  as  to  period. 

The  same  idea  applies  to  biographical 
films  and  is  particularly  appropriate  for 
travel  films.  How  delightful  to  see  a 
film  depicting  an  interesting  locality  at 
the  same  time  one  is  learning  about  it. 

Embarrassing  Film  Titles 

CJJ  Libraries  doing  film  cooperation  are 
often  put  to  it  to  find  a way  out  when 
some  film  with  which  they  wish  to  co- 
operate, bears  a title  that,  posted  in  a 
library,  is  wholly  inappropriate  and  oc- 
casionally ridiculous.  Both  producers 


and  theatre  managers  should  remember 
that  people  are  in  one  mood  in  a the- 
atre, but  usually  in  quite  a different 
mood  in  a library,  even  though  they 
may  have  come  there  to  get  books  con- 
necting with  some  film. 

A Film  Star's  Hobby 

<11  Certainly,  the  film  stars  can  give  us 
lessons  in  the  variety  of  their  hobbies 
and  the  eagerness  with  which  they  pur- 
sue them.  George  Brent,  for  instance, 
finds  relaxation  in  blacksmithing.  This 
actor  has  a combination  machine,  car- 
pentry and  blacksmithing  shop  in  his 
home,  where  he  fashions  many  useful 
and  beautiful  articles  for  himself  and 
his  friends.  He  has  just  given  Bette 
Davis,  with  whom  he  is  working  in 
The  Old  Maid,  a set  of  wrought-iron 
garden  furniture  for  her  new  Brentwood 
home. 

CURRENT  FILMS 

Alexander  Graham  Bell  — Don  Amechc, 

Loretta  Young;  released  3-29;  rev. 

Spec.  4-15.  20th-Fox 

Calling  Dr.  Kildare — Formerly  Dr.  Kil- 
dare’s Mistake;  Lionel  Barrymore,  Lew 
Ayres;  released  4-14.  MGM 

Dark  Victory — Play  by  Brewer,  Jr.,  and 
Bloch;  Bette  Davis,  George  Brent:  rev. 

Spec.  3-18;  released  4-26.  Warner 

Dodge  City — Technicolor;  Santa  Fe  R.R.; 

Olivia  de  Havilland,  Errol  Flynn.  Warner 

Family  Next  Door — -Hugh  Herbert,  Ruth 

Donnelly.  Univ. 

Hardy’s  Ride  High — Rev.  Spec.  4-29.  MGM 

Romance  of  the  Redwoods — Story  by 
London;  Jean  Parker,  Charles  Bick- 
ford. Col. 

Story  of  Vernon  and  Irene  Castle — Fred 
Astaire,  Ginger  Rogers ; rev.  Spec.  4-15; 
released  4-28.  RKO 

Streets  of  New  York — Jackie  Cooper.  Mono. 

Three  Smart  Girls  Grow  Up — Deanna 

Durbin;  rev.  Spec.  4-1.  Univ. 

Wuthering  Heights- — Novel  by  Emily 

Bronte:  rev.  Spec.  4-1  U.A. 

COMING  FILMS 

Boys’  Reformatory — Frankie  Darro.  Mono. 

Bridal  Suite — Formerly  Maiden  Voyage: 

Robert  Montgomery;  released  5-26.  MGM 

Captain  Fury — Australia,  1840;  Brian 

Aherne,  Paul  Lukas.  U.A. 

Confessions  of  a Nazy  Spy — Released 

5- 6.  Warner 

Each  Dawn  I Die — Novel  by  Jerome 

Odium : James  Cagney,  Ann  Sheri- 
dan; released  late  summer.  Warner 

Federal  Offense- — Based  on  Persons  in 
Hiding,  by  J.  Edgar  Hoover;  Ellen 
Drew,  Lloyd  Nolan.  Para. 

Gantry  the  Great — Blind  Wonder  Horse; 

June  release  tentative.  Warner 

Goodbye,  Mr.  Chips — Novel  by  Hilton : 

Robert  Donat.  Greer  Garson;  released 

6- 2.  MGM 

Grade  Allen  Murder  Case  — Comedy; 

based  on  story  by  S.  S.  Van  Dine.  Para. 
Heritage  of  the  Desert — Novel  by  Zane 
Grey;  Evelyn  Venable,  Donald  Woods; 
released  6-23.  Para. 

It's  a Wonderful  World — Comedy;  James 

Stewart,  Claudette  Colbert.  MGM 


PAGE  EIGHTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Juarez — Paul  Muni,  Bette  Davis;  autumn 

release.  Warner 

Jones  Family  In  Hollywood — Released 

6-2.  20th-Fox 

Maiden  Voyage  — Robert  Montgomery; 

released  April.  MGM 

Only  Angels  Have  Wings  — Formerly 
Plane  No.  4 : Cary  Grant,  Jean  Ar- 
thur, Richard  Barthelmess,  Lionel 
Stander;  released  5-15.  Col. 

Rose  of  Washington  Square — Musical; 

Alice  Faye.  A1  Jolson;  released  5-12.  20th-Fox 
Sorority  House — Anne  Shirley;  released 

5-12.  RKO 

Stanley  and  Livingstone  — Spencer 

Tracy;  released  9-2.  20th-Fox 

Susannah  of  the  Mounties — Juvenile  by 
Muriel  Denison:  Shirley  Temple;  re- 
leased 7-28.  20th-Fox 

Tell  No  Tales — Formerly  Hundred  to 
One:  newspaper  story;  Melvyn  Doug- 
las. MGM 

The  Dove — Play  by  Willard  Mack;  Leo 

Carrillo,  Steffi  Duna.  RKO 

Torchy  Runs  for  Mayor — Glenda  Farrell, 

Barton  McLane;  released  5-13;  rev. 

Spec.  4-1.  Warner 

Union  Pacific — Barbara  Stanwyck,  Joel 
McCrea ; released  5-5.  Para. 

Wolf  Call — Story  by  London;  Movita. 

John  Carroll.  Mono. 

Young  Mr.  Lincoln — Henry  Fonda;  re- 
leased 6-9.  20th-Fox 

Zenobia — Formerly  Spring  Again:  based 
on  Zenobia’ s Infidelity : S.  S.  by  H. 

C.  Bunner  (in  Short  Sixes)  . U.A. 

IN  PRODUCTION 

Andy  Hardy  Gets  Spring  Fever — Andy 

turns  playwright;  school  play.  MGM 

Beau  Geste — Novel  by  Wren;  Gary  Cooper.  Para. 
Briton  at  Yale  — Comedy;  Richard 

Greene.  20th-Fox 

Career  — Play  by  Stong  and  Erskine; 

Anne  Shirley,  Edward  Ellis.  RKO 

Cat  and  the  Canary — Play  by  John  Wil- 
lard: Paulette  Goddard,  Bob  Hope.  Para. 

Disputed  Passage — Novel  by  Lloyd  Doug- 
las; Dorothy  Lamour.  Akim  Tamiroff; 
autumn  release.  Para. 

Dust  Be  My  Destiny— Novel  by  Jerome 

Odium;  John  Garfield,  Pat  O'Brien.  Warner 
Enemy  Agent — -Based  on  play  Three 
Faces  East:  Leon  C.  Turrou,  Margaret 
Lindsay.  Warner 

Family  Reunion  — Formerly  American 
Family ; based  on  play  Fly  Away 
Home,  by  Dorothy  Bennett;  Priscilla 
Lane,  John  Garfield.  Warner 

Geronimo — Apaches  in  Southwest;  Pres- 
ton Foster,  Ellen  Drew.  Para. 

Gone  With  the  Wind — Novel  by  Mar- 
garet Mitchell:  Leslie  Howard.  Vivien 
Leigh,  Clark  Gable,  Olivia  de  Havil- 
land.  MGM 

Good  Girls  Go  to  Paris,  Too — Melvyn 
Douglas,  Joan  Blondell,  Walter  Con- 
nolly; old-time  and  modern  dancing 
featured.  Col. 

Hobby  Family — Assorted  hobbies;  Irene 

Rich.  Henry  O’Neill.  Warner 

Home  Work — Charles  Ruggles.  Mary  Bo- 
land. Para. 

Music  School — Jascha  Heifetz.  U.A. 

Little  Mother — Play  by  Felix  Jackson; 

Ginger  Rogers.  RKO 

Man  in  the  Iron  Mask — Louis  Hayward. 

Joan  Bennett,  Doris  Kenyon  as  Queen 
Anne.  U.A. 

Memory  of  Love — Novel  by  Bessie  Breuer; 

Douglas  Fairbanks.  Jr.  RKO 


Mr.  Smith  Goes  to  V - -Con- 
tinues adventures  of  ?-.s,  Jean 

Arthur,  James  Stewa  ide  Rains. 

Guy  Kibbee,  Eugene  . .eti  . Col. 

On  Borrowed  Time — Novel  by  Edward 
Lawrence  Katkin : Frank  Morgan:  Sir 
Cedric  Hardwicke.  MGM 

Our  Leading  Citizen — Bob  Burns,  Susan 

Hayward.  Para. 

Red  Cross  Nurse.  20th-Fox 

Ruler  of  the  Seas — Epic  of  sail  vs.  steam.  Para. 

Second  Fiddle — Formerly  When  Winter 
Comes:  based  on  Heart  Interest:  play 
by  George  Bradshaw:  songs  by  Irving 
Berlin;  Sonja  Henie.  Rudy  Vallee,  Don 
Ameche;  released  6-27.  20th-Fox 

Star-Maker — Semi-biography  of  Gus  Ed- 
wards; released  8-25  (tent.).  Para. 

The  Old  Maid — Novel  by  Edith  Whar- 
ton; play  by  Zoe  Akins;  Bette  Davis. 

Miriam  Hopkins.  George  Brent.  Warner 

The  Sun  Never  Sets — Backgrounds  filmed 
in  London  and  Far  East;  Basil  Rath- 
bone,  Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.  L;niv. 

The  Wizard  of  Oz — Juvenile  by  Frank 
Baum;  Judy  Garland,  Mickey  Rooney; 

August  release.  MGM 

The  Women — Play  by  Clare  Booth;  Nor- 
ma Shearer,  Joan  Crawford.  Rosalind 
Russell.  MGM 

What  a Life — Play  by  Clifford  Gold- 
smith; high  school  age:  Jackie  Coop- 
er, Betty  Field,  John  Howard.  Para. 

Winter  Carnival — Sports;  Ann  Sheridan. 

Richard  Carlson.  U.A. 

FUTURE  FILMS 

Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois — Play  by  Robert 

Sherwood;  Raymond  Massey.  RKO 

American  Way — Play  by  Kaufman  and 

Moss.  RKO 

American  School  Teacher — Bob  Burns; 

production  to  start  in  June.  RKO 

Babes  In  Arms — Musical  play  by  Rodgers 
and  Hart;  Judy  Garland.  Mickey 
Rooney.  MGM 

Chicken  Wagon  Family — Novel  by  Barry 

Benefield;  production  begins  5-2.  20th-Fox 

Coast  Guard — Ralph  Bellamy.  Randolph 

Scott:  production  begins  May.  Col. 

Desert  Storm  — Desert  filling  station ; 
Humphrey  Bogart.  Margaret  Lindsay; 
production  begins  May.  Warner 

Diary  of  Santa  Fe — Based  on  records  of 
Capt.  D.  S.  Stanley,  1853;  Errol 
Flynn,  Olivia  de  Havilland.  Warner 

Father  Damien — Priesi  of  Hawaiian  leper 
colony:  a character  is  R.  L.  Steven- 
son. 

Hollywood  Cavalcade — Alice  Faye;  pro- 
duction begins  5-15.  20th-Fox 

Housekeeper’s  Daughter — Novel  by  Don- 
ald Henderson  Clark:  production  starts 
about  5-15.  U.A. 

Intermezzo — Original  screen  play;  pro- 
duction begins  June.  U.A. 

Knight  and  the  Lady — Elizabethan:  Bette 
Davis,  Errol  Flynn:  production  begins 
5-15.  Warner 

Moon  and  Sixpence — Novel  by  W.  S. 

Maugham;  Edward  G.  Robinson.  Warner 

My  Fifth  Avenue  Girl — Redbook  serial 

by  Frank  Adams;  Ginger  Rogers.  RKO 

Old  Grad — Anita  Louise,  Charley  Grape- 

win.  Univ. 

Real  Glory — Philippines:  Gary  Cooper. 

Andrea  Leeds.  David  Niven.  U.A. 

Rebecca — Novel  by  Daphne  Du  Maurier: 

production  begins  June.  U.A. 

Stronger  Than  Desire — Novel  by  W.  E. 
Woodward:  Robert  Montgomery.  Vir- 
ginia Bruce  MGM 


The  Rains  Came — N;.c!  . ,•  Bromfield; 

Ronald  Colman,  H.  B.  Warner,  Myrna 
Loy,  Maria  Ouspenskaya,  George  Brent, 
Tyrone  Power;  released  10-28.  20th-Fox 


JONATHAN  ASKS  FOR  REHEARSAL 

(Continued  from  page  12) 
scene  a look  of  the  same  disorder. 

Too  much  rehearsing  is  bad.  Every- 
body agrees  on  that.  But  when  you  get 
a tough  scene  that  takes  a lot  of  work- 
ing out,  it  is  much  worse  to  do  it  just 
before  you  shoot  it  than  it  would  be  to 
do  it  the  day  before.  People  get  stale 
after  an  hour  of  the  same  three  or  four 
pages  and  it  is  an  added  difficulty  to 
know  you  have  to  pull  one  out  of  a hat 
that  is  long  since  empty. 

These  are  things  I’d  like  to  see  you 
take  up  because  I am  sure  they  would 
result  in  better  pictures.  Of  course,  it 
is  all  from  the  actor’s  point  of  view, 
but,  after  all,  actors  have  a part  in 
making  pictures. — JONATHAN. 


FORMAT  PLEASES  READERS 

(Continued  from  page  17) 

Lewis  Milestone — Well,  after  all  these  years! 
Good  work! 

Erich  Wolfgang  Korngold — I am  happy  to  see 
the  Spectator  further  progressing. 

Robert  Lord — Congratulations  to  the  new 
Spectator. 

Frank  Lloyd — When  better  ideas  are  thought 
of,  you'll  do  the  thinking. 

Richard  Wallace — Streamlined  and  right  up- 
to-date.  A great  improvement. 

Mortimer  Snerd,  Universal  star — -The  new 
Spectator  looks  good  to  me — but  where  are 
the  pictures? 

Sidney  Toler — The  Spectator  mirrors  the  sa- 
gacity of  a wise  father.  Regards. 

Tim  Holt — I like  the  enlarged  Spectator  very 
much.  The  fine  paper  makes  it  easier  to 
read  and  the  increased  space  makes  it  able 
to  add  to  its  interesting  contents.  I never 
miss  it. 

John  Howard — I'm  boosting  for  the  Spectator 
more  than  ever. 


★ "A  very  big  dollar’s  worth.  I hope 
your  picture  people  will  adopt  it  as  their 
guide  in  making  their  pictures,  which 
now  are  talking  far  too  much.” — Wal- 
ter G.  Smith,  Omaha,  Nebraska.  A 
Plea  and  A Play,  by  Welford  Beaton; 
price  one  dollar.  Hollywood  Spectator, 
6513  Hollywood  Boulevard,  Holly- 
wood. 


Mimeographing 

Multigraphing 

JEANNE  EDWARDS 

1655  North  Cherokee 
(at  Hollywood  Blvd.) 
GRanite  0330 


APRIL  29,  1939 


PAGE  NINETEEN 


GARSON  KANIN 

DIRECTOR 

RKO-  Radio 

♦ 


JOHN  BRAHM 

DIRECTOR 

Columbia  Pictures 


SPECTATOR 


Every  Other  Week 


Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 


Fourteenth  Year 


Los  Angeles,  California — July  22,  1939 


Vol.  14— No.  8 


Writing  Film  Stories  To  Fit 
Players  Not  Good  Box-Office 

Moral  Re- Armament  Movement 
Theme  for  Great  Screen  Epic 

Bruno  Ussher’s  Estimate  of 
Sam  Goldwyn’s  Heifetz  Picture 


REVIEWED: 
(See  Page  5) 


They  Shall  Have  Music  k Unexpected  Father  k Career 

Million  Dollar  Legs  k I Stole  a Million  k Should  Husbands  Work? 
The  Magnificent  Fraud  ★ News  Is  Made  At  Night  ★ The  Movies  March  On 
Andy  Hardy  Gets  Spring  Fever  k Blondie  Takes  a Vacation 


~/7lu?n.  the 

EDITOR'S 


EASY  CHAIR 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  AUDIENCE 
DECOMMENDED  for  reading  is  the  June-July  num- 
1 her  of  Cinema  Progress,  edited  by  Boris  Mor- 
kovin,  the  capable  head  of  the  cinema  department  of 
LI niversity  of  Southern  California.  The  typographic- 
ally attractive  36-page  publication  is  full  of  the  kind 
of  material  which  would  make  profitable  reading  for 
all  those  engaged  in  the  creative  branches  of  picture- 
making. In  the  list  of  those  whose  opinions  are  ex- 
pressed are  such  practical  screen  names  as  King 
Vidor,  William  Wellman,  Mitchell  Leisen,  Leigh  Jason, 
Henry  King,  S.  Sylvan  Simon,  Milton  Sperling,  John 
Brahm.  Thoughtful  and  valuable  articles  are  contrib- 
uted by  other  experts  in  various  phases  of  film  pro- 
duction. 


Of  course,  some  of  the  opinions  expressed  are  open 
to  challenge.  For  instance,  let  me  quote  Leigh  Jason: 
"Critics  are  unfair  when  they  judge  all  pictures  by  the 
standards  they  set  up  for  an  artistic  picture.  There 
are  at  least  three  widely  differing,  but  overlapping 
types  of  audiences;  the  intelligent  audience  which  en- 
joys the  best  artistic  pictures;  the  middle  class  audi- 
ence which  wants  light  entertainment;  the  less  intelli- 
gent audience  which  enjoys  only  western  and  action 
pictures." 


Cause  of  Box-Office  Worries 

Jason  here  classifies  the  kind  of  pictures  the  public 
is  being  offered  now,  and  unconsciously  puts  his  finger 
on  the  weak  spot  in  Hollywood's  production  methods, 
the  weakness  responsible  for  box-office  conditions 
which  are  causing  producers  so  much  concern.  When 
pictures  were  silent  there  was  but  one  audience,  the 
public  as  a whole.  Lack  of  knowledge  of  the  funda- 
mental appeal  of  their  medium  was  not  a serious 
matter  then,  as  mechanical  limitations  made  it  neces- 
sary for  screen  stories  to  be  told  in  pictorial  language, 
the  most  primitive  form  of  expression,  one  which  left 
its  interpretation  to  the  imagination,  not  to  the  in- 
tellect, of  its  audience.  Thus  the  story  had  the  same 
appeal  to  all  those  who  saw  it  on  the  screen  in  that  it 
appealed  to  one  hundred  per  cent  of  the  imaginative 
power  of  each  beholder.  The  scholar  and  the  moron 
did  not  get  the  same  story,  but  each  got  the  one  his 
imagination  was  capable  of  fashioning.  Thus  silent 
pictures  had  but  one  audience. 

Producers  will  tell  you  that  prior  to  the  advent  of 
sound  the  public  was  getting  tired  of  silent  pictures, 
a fact  established  by  dwindling  box-office  receipts. 


The  public  was  not  tiring  of  silents  as  such;  it  was  tir- 
ing of  the  kind  it  v/as  getting.  Because  you  tire  of 
eating  corn  beef  and  cabbage  every  day,  you  can  not 
be  accused  of  becoming  tired  of  eating. 

Embarked  On  a New  Business 

When  the  screen  began  to  talk,  the  motion  picture 
industry  went  into  an  entirely  new  business,  a fact  of 
which  it  still  is  unconscious.  Instead  of  sticking  to  the 
business  which  created  it,  it  changed  the  nature  of  its 
product  as  completely  as  would  be  the  case  if  a dealer 
in  women's  hats  switched  to  men's  shoes,  expecting 
still  to  hold  his  old  customers. 

It  had  been  offering  entertainment  which  appealed 
to  the  imagination,  and  it  switched  to  a line  which 
appeals  to  the  intellect.  It  divided  its  audience  into 
the  three  parts  set  forth  by  Jason.  For  the  soothing 
silence  of  its  legitimate  product  it  substituted  dia- 
logue which  its  players  shout  into  the  ears  of  the  audi- 
ence. For  the  quiet  music  of  the  old  days  it  substitut- 
ed scores  which  at  times  step  to  the  front  and  stun  us 
with  the  volume  of  their  sound.  And  box-office  re- 
ceipts continue  to  shrink.  And  producers  who  regard 
themselves  as  supermen,  incapable  of  being  wrong, 
plead  the  difficulty  of  making  pictures,  each  of  which 
will  appeal  to  three  different  kinds  of  audience. 

It  is  six  or  seven  years  ago  since  the  Spectator  first 
predicted  the  exact  conditions  which  exist  now.  If  the 
Spectator  could  see  it  that  long  ago,  why,  in  heaven's 
name,  can  not  the  film  moguls  with  the  overstuffed 
salaries  see  it  now? 

* * * 

TIME  TO  THINK  ABOUT  SHIRLEY 
THAT  Shirley  Temple's  appeal  is  more  to  adults  than 
* to  children  lonq  has  been  the  Spectator's  conten- 
tion. The  trend  of  the  New  York  criticisms  of  her 
latest  picture  is  along  the  same  lines.  Yet  her  studio 
never  has  even  hinted  at  its  realization  of  that  im- 
portant fact.  It  persists  in  presenting  her  as  a child 
to  entertain  children.  Perhaps  the  lack  of  satisfactory 
box-office  response  to  her  current  vehicle  will  prompt 
her  studio  to  do  some  serious  thinking.  At  least  let 
us  hope  so.  A suggestion  of  the  kind  of  thinking  re- 
sponsible for  the  weakness  of  Shirley's  box  - office 
standing  is  given  in  Louella  Parson's  newspaper 
column:  "Darryl  Zanuck  certainly  has  a big  problem 
in  finding  stories  for  the  golden  Temple  child  that 
appeal  to  the  children  and  at  the  same  time  are  adult 
entertainment."  If  Louella  has  Darryl  right,  he  is 


SPECTATOR,  published  bi-weekly  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spe  tator  Go..  0013  Hollywood  Blvd.  ; phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price.  $5  the  year;  two 
years,  $8:  foreign,  $6.  Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter.  September  23.  1938.  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3.  1879. 


PAGE  TWO 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


thinking  in  terms  of  his  star  and  not  in  terms  of  her 
stories.  He  was  thinking  that  way  when  he  presented 
her,  three  or  four  pictures  ago  as  a blackface  hoofer, 
a box-office  blow  from  which  he  has  not  covered. 

The  only  consideration  that  should  be  given  Shirley 
when  a story  is  being  prepared  for  her  is  that  she  is 
ten  years  old,  consequently  a girl  of  about  that  age 
must  be  the  person  around  whom  the  story  revolves. 
The  writers  then  should  forget  Shirley  and  concen- 
trate on  the  girl  in  the  story.  If  the  girl  part  is  develop- 
ed logically,  Shirley  may  be  relied  upon  to  do  bril- 
liantly on  the  screen  everything  the  girl  does  in  the 
script.  And  no  matter  what  it  is,  it  will  entertain 
children.  Each  little  girl  in  an  audience  sees  herself 
in  Shirley,  and  that  is  quite  enough  in  itself  to  keep 
her  interested  in  what  the  little  actress  does  in  the 
picture;  and,  unless  it  be  carried  to  an  absurd  extent 
the  more  grown-up  Shirley  appears  on  the  screen,  the 
more  grown-up  will  the  girl  in  the  audience  feel,  there- 
fore writing  Shirley's  stories  for  adults  is  the  surest 
way  to  make  them  entertaining  for  children. 

* * * 

YOUTH  TO  THE  RESCUE 

OLLYWOOD  was  host  this  week  to  a group  of  peo- 
ple who  are  espousing  a doctrine  all  the  world 
some  day  will  embrace.  Moral  Re-armament,  the  apt 
name  given  it,  has  among  its  deciples  millions  of  peo- 
ple who  have  never  heard  of  it,  and  millions  of  others 
who  merely  have  heard  of  it  and  know  little  about  it  as 
a concrete  movement.  I belong  in  this  second  class. 
All  I know  about  it  is  that  its  aim  is  to  make  the  world 
a more  decent  place  in  which  to  live,  and  I am  whole- 
heartedly for  that.  My  impression  is  that  the  sponsors 
of  the  movement  have  given  up  hope  of  us  old  fellows 
ever  acquiring  enough  sense  to  run  things  properly, 
and  are  arousing  the  youth  of  the  world  to  a con- 
sciousness of  the  responsibility  that  will  be  theirs. 

Certainly  the  elder  statesmen  are  making  a horrible 
mess  of  the  world.  Of  that  we  are  reminded  every 
morning  by  the  headlines  in  our  newspapers.  I am 
writing  this  on  a Sunday  morning,  and  a moment  ago 
I paused  to  hail  a neighbor  and  ask  him  if  he  could  in- 
duce his  dog  to  cease  its  practice  of  scraping  holes 
under  our  back  fence  and  not  only  coming  in  through 
them,  but  providing  our  dogs  with  a hitherto  unsus- 
pected method  of  escaping  from  their  established 
boundaries  and  roaming  the  neighborhood.  If  I had 
taken  a tip  from  fhe  morning  headlines,  I would  have 
known  that  my  plan  to  abate  the  nuisance  should  have 
been  for  me  to  shoot  my  neighbor,  and  his  would 
have  been  to  fire  the  first  shot  if  I were  not  too  quick 
for  him.  Buf  we  laughed  over  the  matter,  and  from 
where  I sit  now  I can  see  him  nailing  some  wire  netting 
to  the  bottom  of  the  fence,  his  dog  on  his  side  and  my 
dogs  on  mine  being  interested  onlookers. 

Movement  a Civilizing  Instrument 

q I can  see  no  fundamental  difference  between  this 
fence  incident  and  the  international  incidents  which 
now  are  prompting  nations  to  snarl  at  one  another. 


Each  of  the  latter  is  susceptible  to  the  same  friendly 
settlement  if  it  be  approached  with  a laugh  instead  of 
with  a gun.  But  guns  will  prevail  until  the  nations  be- 
come civilized.  The  Moral  Re-armament  movement 
can  become  the  civilizing  instrument.  The  sentiment 
of  the  world  is  on  its  side.  Its  aim  is  to  crystalize  the 
sentiment  into  a potent  and  irresistible  force  — a 
world-wide  movement  to  make  the  world  a better 
place  to  live  in. 

Surely  there  is  inspiration  there  for  a greaf  motion 
picture  — a theme  the  world  would  applaud  — not  a 
war  theme  or  a plea  for  universal  peace;  just  some 
homely,  human  story  about  ordinary  people  and  their 
desire  to  live  in  a tranquil  world,  a picture  which 
would  condemn  war  by  implication,  expose  strife  as 
the  senseless  and  unnessary  thing  it  is,  and  demon- 
strate that  as  the  world  thinks,  the  world  will  be. 

* * * 

FAILS  AS  ESCAPIST  MEDIUM 

HE  front  page  of  the  morning  paper,  of  course,  was 
filled  with  war  talk,  which  left  room  for  only  one 
column  of  political  strife  and  the  choicest  murder  of 
the  day.  Turning  the  page  I caught  some  headings: 
"Children  See  Father  Killed  by  Zoo  Bear,"  and  "Three 
Sisters,  Arms  Locked,  Drown  in  Boat  Mishap,"  "Mur- 
derer of  Wife  and  Son  in  Wild  Outburst."  For  relief 
I turned  to  the  amusement  page  and  my  eyes  met: 
"They  took  the  bars  off  Alcatraz  to  film  it!  — 'They 
All  Come  Out'  — See  sensational  actual  scenes  of 
what  really  goes  on  in  the  great  federal  prisons!" 
I put  the  paper  down,  went  oustide,  and  while  I work- 
ed among  the  flowers  I wondered  if,  after  all,  the 
screen  really  is  an  escapist  medium. 

* * * 

AND  WHAT  OF  HAM-AN'-EGGS? 

HEN  N ovember  7 comes  along  the  eyes  of  the 
nation  will  turn  in  the  direction  of  California.  On 
that  day  the  state  will  decide  if  it  is  to  make  a most 
revolutionary  experiment,  whether  it  can  pay  thirty 
dollars  each  week  to  each  of  its  elderly  citizens  with- 
out making  things  worse  than  they  are  now.  Two 
classes  of  voters  will  support  the  measure:  those  who 
believe  sincerely  the  pension  plan  will  work,  and  those 
who  feel  something  should  be  done  to  improve  pres- 
ent conditions  and  are  willing  to  make  the  experiment 
provided  for  in  the  initiative  measure.  Opposed  to 
it  will  be  two  classes:  those  who  believe  sincerely  it 
will  not  work,  and  those  who  are  afraid  it  will  disturb 
conditions  which  they  now  find  advantageous  to  their 
selfish  interests. 

Neither  the  proponents  of  the  plan  nor  its  oppon- 
ents know  if  it  will  work.  Those  opposed  to  it  reflect 
the  frame  of  mind  of  the  citizens  of  the  past  century 
who  were  convinced  trains  running  on  rails  would  not 
be  successful,  who  laughed  at  the  idea  of  electricity, 
at  Bell's  dream  of  talking  over  a wire.  And  now  we 
have  radio  and  television,  each  more  unbelievable 
than  the  thought  that  there  must  be  some  manner  in 
which  old  people  can  be  given  financial  contentment. 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  THREE 


It  will  be  difficult  to  make  any  thoughtful  voter  be- 
lieve there  is  no  remedy  for  existing  conditions.  The 
most  earnest  opponents  of  the  pension  plan  will  be 
those  responsible  for  the  conditions  which  made  some 
plan  necessary.  The  same  sun,  rain  and  earth  respon- 
sible for  previous  periods  of  prosperity  are  still 
standing  by,  still  functioning.  Man  is  the  weak  spot 
in  the  scheme  of  things.  Some  believe  that  in  the 
pension  plan  they  have  a way  out.  If  those  who  think 
differently  have  hopes  of  converting  the  public  to 
their  belief,  they  should  make  their  arguments  con- 
vincing by  presenting  an  alternate  plan  which  will 
achieve  the  results  aimed  at  by  the  Ham-and-Eggers. 

* * * 

CRITICS  AND  THEIR  CRAFT 

IGHT  years  ago  there  appeared  a 400-page  book 
still  read  by  those  who  take  an  intelligent  interest  in 
the  reviews  of  literary  works  and  the  manner  in  which 
critics  approach  their  discussions  of  music,  stage, 
screen  and  the  allied  arts — "The  Craft  of  the  Critic," 
written  by  S.  Stephenson  Smith.  Last  evening,  in 
reading  again  his  estimate  of  screen  criticism,  I noted 
again  how  accurately  Smith  had  sized  up  the  situation 
as  it  existed  a decade  ago.  I quote  him,  and  leave  it 
to  you  to  decide  for  yourself  if  there  has  been  any 
change  since  the  book  was  written: 

"The  cinema  originated  as  a study  of  the  motions 
of  a racehorse  in  action.  Only  a half-dozen  of  the 
directors  have  remembered  this.  The  essential  thing 
in  the  motion  picture  is  movement.  And  the  news- 
paper and  magazine  critics  rarely  recall  this  elemen- 
tary fact.  Look  at  those  curious  and  venal  advertis- 
ing media,  the  movie  magazines.  Is  there  any  study 
of  the  pictures  as  artistic  sequences  of  motion?  An- 
ecdotal tidbits  about  the  stars,  details  of  directors' 
lives  and  manners,  Hollywood  scandals,  the  pirating  of 
plots,  craft  details  on  the  making  of  scenarios,  camera 
technique,  exclamations  over  the  wonders  of  archae- 
ology in  some  new  historical  romance,  personal  inter- 
views with  the  stars,  and  endless  stills  well  up  to  the 
level  of  billboard  art  and  boulevard  postcards:  in 
short,  a farrago  of  rubbish,  so  far  as  any  intelligible 
criticism  is  concerned.  The  Hollywood  Spectator  is 
the  one  exception." 

* * * 

TO  STIMULATE  FILM  BOX-OFFICES 

HEN  stories  are  being  prepared  in  studios,  too 
much  thought  is  given  the  stars  and  supporting 
players  who  are  to  appear  in  them,  a practice  re- 
sponsible for  the  complaint  of  the  public  that  there 
is  too  much  sameness  in  the  pictures  offered  it.  When 
a star  makes  a hit  in  a certain  characterization,  his 
or  her  studio  promptly  looks  for  a follow-up  story  with 
a similar  character  in  it.  When  an  artist  sets  about 
the  creation  of  what  he  hopes  will  be  his  masterpiece, 
he  does  not  think  solely  in  terms  of  his  colors.  His 
thoughts  are  on  the  creation  as  a whole,  and  it  is  the 
creation  which  dictates  the  colors  to  be  used.  If 
screen  writers  were  permitted  to  think  only  in  terms 


of  their  stories,  and  if  producers  fitted  their  players 
into  the  stories  instead  of  having  the  stories  fashioned 
for  their  players,  film  theatre  box-offices  would  be 
given  at  least  a measure  of  the  stimulation  they  so 
badly  need. 

* * * 

MENTAL  MEANDERINGS 

f)\JR  d irt  road  passes  a corner  marked  by  a high 
v cypress  hedge  in  which  there  are  two  gates  pro- 
viding passers-by  with  views  of  a comfortable  home 
in  a setting  of  well  trimmed  trees,  attractive  shrub- 
bery and  a gorgeous  display  of  flowers.  Across  spa- 
cious lawns  a couple  of  dogs  chase  one  another,  and 
along  well  kept  paths  one  sees  at  times  a colored 
maid  pushing  a perambulator  in  which  sits  a baby 
whose  eyes  gravely  or  gaily,  according  to  her  chang- 
ing moods,  surveys  the  world  around  her.  Never  far- 
ther than  a dozen  feet  from  the  baby  is  a handsome 
German  shepherd  dog.  And  in  such  a setting  and 
under  such  conditions  there  dwells  a man  who  not  so 
long  ago  had  a number  near  the  top  of  the  Public 
Enemy  list.  A policeman  friend  of  mine  told  me  he 
had  paid  his  debt  to  society  and  is  now  going  straight. 
That  made  him  interesting:  the  crimes  he  had  commit- 
ted took  nerve  and  daring,  marked  him  as  a man  worth 
studying,  a human  museum  piece  against  a rural  back- 
ground. I took  dvantage  of  an  opportunity  to  make 
his  acquaintance.  That  was  about  a year  ago.  He  is 
out  in  my  garden  now,  planting  a few  dozen  zinnia 
plants,  rare  varieties  he  grew  from  seed.  His  greatest 
pride — excepting  the  baby,  of  course — is  his  rose 
garden.  . . . What  I thought  was  a flock  of  gophers 
played  havoc  with  a bed  of  asters.  I got  a trap,  set 
it,  then  hoped  it  would  catch  nothing,  as  I hate  touch- 
ing dead  things.  Aramantha,  an  old  cat  which  ambles 
across  our  yard  and  spends  hours  with  me,  studied 
me  and  the  trap,  but  for  a week  nothing  happened. 
Then  one  morning  I came  upon  Aramantha  feasting 
on  a gopher.  The  trap  was  still  set.  No  sign  of  a 
gopher  since.  If  I knew  who  owns  Aramantha,  I would 
trade  the  trap  for  her.  . . . And  now,  without  waiting 
to  ask  her  permission,  I will  let  a Seattle  reader  do  the 
rest  of  today's  Meandering.  The  opening  paragraph 
of  a letter  from  Maurine  Coman,  a Spectator  sub- 
scriber who  lives  in  the  Puget  Sound  city,  is  too  good 
to  keep  to  myself:  "The  significance  of  your  Mental 
Meanderings  in  the  Spectator  of  June  tenth  is  like  a 
delicate  perfume  borne  on  a gentle  breeze.  Now  if 
only  the  world  might  grasp  the  beautiful  similitude  of 
your  neighborhood  exchange  and  your  flower  children 
in  the  neighbors'  gardens,  and  would  love  the  neigh- 
bors' gardens  for  the  sake  of  their  own  fair  children 
blooming  there,  what  a world  this  would  be!  What  a 
neighborhood  of  nations,  and  what  possible  use  could 
one  find  for  war  in  universal  gardens  redolent  with 
the  perfume  of  love  and  righteousness?  Ah,  Mr. 
Spectator,  it  is  a Utopian  dream  you  have,  and  I, 
too,  am  only  a dreamer.  Of  what  use  are  dreams?" 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


What  iate  OheJ  £wk  £ike 


Heifetz  Casts 

a Musical  Spell 

THEY  SHALL  HAVE  MUSIC 
Samuel  Goldwyn-U.  A. 

Producer Samuel  Goldwyn 

Associate  producer  Robert  Riskin 

Director Archie  Mayo 

Screen  play:  Irmgard  Von  Cube,  John  Howard 
Lawson. 

Photography  Gregg  Toland 

Musical  director  Alfred  Newman 

Film  editor Sherman  Todd 

Cast:  Jascha  Heifetz,  Andrea  Leeds,  Joel  Mc- 
Crea,  Gene  Reynolds,  Walter  Brennan,  Porter 
Hall,  Terry  Kilburn,  Walter  Tetley,  Chuck 
Stubbs,  Tommy  Kelly,  Jacqueline  Nash,  Al- 
fred Newman,  Mary  Ruth,  John  St.  Polis,  Alex- 
ander Schonberg,  Marjorie  Main,  Arthur  Hohl, 
Paul  Harvey,  "Zero,"  Peter  Meremblum  Cali- 
fornia Junior  Symphony.  Running  time,  120 
minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
DELIGHTFUL  picture.  They  Shall 
Have  Music  is  one  of  the  few  films 
that  give  the  spectator  something  to 
carry  away  from  the  theatre  with  him, 
a raising  of  the  spirit.  What  one  takes 
from  the  picture,  of  course,  will  be  de- 
pendent on  what  he  brings  to  it,  espe- 
cially with  respect  to  musical  apprecia- 
tion, and  yet,  produced  with  astute 
showmanship,  the  picture  has  some- 
thing for  everyone. 

The  presentation  should  do  excep- 
tionally well  at  the  box-office  because 
it  will  bring  into  motion  picture  houses, 
to  see  and  hear  the  great  Jascha  Heifetz, 
sections  of  the  public  that  rarely  visit 
film  houses.  At  the  same  time,  the  pic- 
ture affords  a finely  human,  touching 
story  which  will  absorb  those  with  no 
pronounced  ear  for  better  music. 

More  important  than  the  box-office 
returns  of  this  single  picture,  however, 
is  the  fact  that,  by  its  presentation  of 
high  artistic  values,  it  will  further  in- 
crease the  appreciation  of  finer  filmic 
elements,  helping  to  pave  the  way  for 
pictures  of  wider  and  more  enduring 
appeal. 

Presents  Musical  Feast 

<1  Heifetz,  starred  in  the  Goldwyn  pro- 
duction, dominates  the  picture  largely 
through  his  playing,  being  heard  in  a 
generous  number  of  selections.  What 
he  gives  us  is  a feast  of  music  seldom 
equaled  on  the  screen.  His  numbers 
range  from  the  highly  technical  Rondo 
Capnccioso  of  Saint  Saens  to  the  simple 
and  tender  little  Estrellita. 

It  is  probable  that  Dr.  Bruno  Ussher 
will  have  a great  deal  to  say  on  the 
technical  merits  of  the  renditions,  so  I 
shall  not  impose  my  far  less  discerning 
reactions,  except  to  say  that,  to  me,  they 
were  superb.  What  will  most  impress 
the  layman  is  the  spirit  and  poignancy 


of  his  playing.  Those  few  of  the  music 
world  who  have  been  prone  to  consider 
Heifetz’s  playing  at  times  deficient  in 
emotional  stimulus  — though  likely  a 
misinterpretation — manifestly  can  have 
no  criticism  on  that  score  here.  The 
music  is  rich  in  feeling,  and  doubtless 
gains  in  that  respect  through  associa- 
tions with  the  story.  Stretches  of  the 
background  music  evidently  are  played 
by  the  violinist  himself. 

Recording,  under  the  supervision  of 
Paul  Neal,  is  of  exceptional  quality.  On 
occasion  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  repro- 
duction was  too  loud,  especially  in  forte 
passages  in  the  upper  register,  but  this 
detraction  in  all  likelihood  was  due  to 
the  sound  control  at  the  Warners'  Bev- 
erly theatre,  the  brethren’s  local  film 
houses  seemingly  having  a penchant  for 
excess  of  this  kind. 

He  Sticks  to  His  Music 

*1  Sam  Goldwyn  has  shown  wisdom  in 
depending  on  the  violinist’s  musical  per- 
formances to  impress  his  personality  on 
audiences,  rather  than  featuring  him 
prominently  in  the  dramatic  portions 
of  the  play.  Heifetz  is  seen  in  only  two 
brief  dialogue  sequences.  Apparently 
painstakingly  coached  by  Director  Ar- 
chie Mayo,  he  is  natural  and  easy.  Thus 
our  respect  for  the  musician  is  unim- 
paired by  any  inept  exhibitions  in  an 
alien  art,  which  has  not  always  been 
the  case  in  other  appearances  of  musical 
celebrities. 

Shrewdness  is  shown  too  in  the  ad- 
mixture of  fictional  and  musical  ele- 
ments. The  screen  play  by  Irmgard 
Von  Cube  and  John  Howard  Lawson 
is  full  of  human  touches  and  spiced 
with  just  a dash  of  hokum — the  inci- 
dent where  the  menace  is  subtly  jabbed 
in  the  posterior  by  the  hat  pin  of  an 
aroused  housewife,  is  capital — and  yet 
the  story  is  never  mundane  or  trivial; 
it  is  founded  on  aspirations  and  splen- 
did ideals,  and  definitely  centers  about 
music,  dealing  with  the  efforts  of  a mu- 
sic school,  where  poor  children  may 
study  without  charge,  to  keep  open  its 
doors  and  save  its  instruments  from 
creditors,  following  the  death  of  its 
patron. 

Child  Musicians  Featured 

<1  At  this  point  it  should  be  interjected 
that  the  musical  program  of  this  very 
musical  film  is  by  no  means  contributed 
solely  by  Heifetz.  Seen  and  heard,  as 
music  pupils  of  the  impecunious  school, 
are  members  of  an  admirable  organiza- 
tion of  child  musicians,  our  own  Cali- 
fornia Junior  Symphony  Orchestra,  fos- 
tered and  trained  by  Peter  Meremblum. 
It  is  said  that  Heifetz  refused  to  believe 
the  players  were  children  when  he  first 
heard  a recording  of  their  work.  At  the 


conclusion  of  the  picture  the  violinist 
does  a Mendelssohn  concerto  to  the 
accompaniment  of  the  Meremblum  or- 
chestra. The  seasoned  Alfred  Newman 
is  at  the  baton  throughout  the  picture. 

Then  there  is  little  Jacqueline  Nash, 
heard  in  two  vocal  selections,  displaying 
a voice  of  extraordinary  range  and  tim- 
bre for  one  so  young.  Deserving  a lau- 
rel too,  is  tiny  Mary  Ruth,  whose  fin- 
gers move  along  the  keyboard  as  though 
directed  by  a force  far  older  than  she — - 
and  possibly  they  are.  The  Chopin 
Minute  Waltz  may  hold  snares  for 
such  small  fingers,  but  a slight  muffing 
or  two  does  not  render  the  performance 
less  than  notable. 

Thespians  Are  First-rate 

•I  This  seems  an  unbefitting  time  to  be 
coming  to  the  thespians,  for  the  acting 
performances  contribute  a large  part  of 
the  film’s  effectiveness.  Outstanding  in 
the  cast  is  young  Gene  Reynolds,  as  a 
waif  who  finds  a haven  and  the  recog- 
nition and  training  of  a latent  musical 
gift  at  the  school.  The  boy  has  some 
scenes  with  an  impressive  spiritual  qual- 
ity, and  others  of  considerable  dramatic 
force. 

That  young-old  man,  Walter  Bren- 
nan, again  comes  through  with  an  ex- 
cellent characterization,  playing  the  el- 
derly founder  and  director  of  the  insti- 
tution, so  absorbed  in  music  he  is  un- 
aware of  the  school’s  financial  straits. 
Andrea  Leeds  is  quietly  effective  as  his 
daughter,  and  Joel  McCrea  is  at  his  best 
as  her  suitor.  Young  Terry  Kilburn, 
Porter  Hall,  and  Marjorie  Main  are 
among  others  doing  good  work  in  a 
cast  too  lengthly  for  individual  mention. 

Archie  Mayo  in  his  direction  has 
fully  realized  the  human  values  in  the 
script,  bringing  forth  earnest  and  vivid 
work  from  the  players. 

Heifetz  Technique  Revealed 

<][  Production,  needless  to  say,  is  of  the 
high  Goldwyn  level.  Gregg  Toland’s 
photography,  especially  in  capturing  the 
Heifetz  technique  through  close-up  shots 
from  various  angles,  is  commendable, 
and  art  direction  by  James  Basevi  is  a 
meritorious  contribution.  Editing  must 
have  presented  many  problems,  particu- 
larly in  the  musical  sequences,  but  Sher- 
man Todd  has  met  them  skilfully. 

The  only  faulty  bit  of  continuity, 
due  probably  to  the  screen  play,  though 
editing  might  have  helped  it,  unfortun- 
ately mars  the  conclusion  of  the  pic- 
ture. Miss  Leeds  is  shown  embracing 
her  father  in  an  endeavor  to  console 
him  at  seeing  the  instruments  taken 
away  in  the  midst  of  the  big  school 
concert,  while  the  next  shot  shows 
Heifetz  alighting  from  his  automobile 
in  front.  Then  he  is  heard  playing  off 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  FIVE 


scene,  while  Miss  Leeds  is  still  embrac- 
ing her  father.  For  the  musician  to 
have  come  in  and  made  preparations  to 
play  would  have  taken  at  least  four  or 
five  minutes,  and  a father-daughter  em- 
brace would  not  have  lasted  that  long. 
A retake,  if  necessary,  would  be  a good 
investment. 

A praiseworthy  contribution  to  the 
raising  of  artistic  values  in  motion  pic- 
tures, and  a musical  feast  such  as  sel- 
dom is  to  be  seen  in  film  houses.  The 
thousands  of  music  students  throughout 
the  country  will  find  valuable  instruc- 
tion in  being  able  to  study  the  technique 
of  the  master  violinist.  Jascha  Heifetz, 
at  close  range.  Performances  by  younger 
musicians  in  the  picture,  including  a 
children's  symphony  orchestra,  should 
inspire  other  talented  youngsters.  Stu- 
dents of  cinematography  can  observe  a 
clever  admixture  of  musical  and  fictional 
elements,  especially  as  related  to  the 
need  of  providing  sufficient  dramatic 
values  for  that  portion  of  the  public 
with  uncultivated  musical  tastes.  The 
extensive  possibilities  for  library  book 
and  film  cooperation  are  patent. 


Adopts  Technique 
of  Stong 's  Novel 

CAREER.  RKO 


Producer 

Production  executive 

Director 

Screen  play 

Adaptation 

From  the  novel  by 

Musical  director 

Photographer 

Special  effects 

Recording 

Editor 


Robert  Sisk 
Lee  Marcus 
Leigh  Jason 
Dalton  Trumbo 
Bert  Granet 
Phil  Stong 
Russell  Bennett 
Frank  Redman,  ASC 
Vernon  L.  Walker,  ASC 
John  L.  Cass 
Arthur  E.  Roberts 


Cast:  Anne  Shirley,  Edward  Ellis,  Samuel  S. 
Hinds,  Janet  Beecher,  Leon  Errol,  Alice  Eden, 
John  Archer,  Raymond  Hatton,  Maurice  Mur- 
phy, Harrison  Greene,  Charles  Drake,  Hobart 
Cavanaugh.  Running  time,  62  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
1 THERE  is  some  good  stuff  in  Career. 
I There  was  good  stuff  in  the  Phil 
Stong  novel,  which  pictured  a cross  sec- 
tion of  Iowan  small  town  life,  center- 
ing about  a young  man  who  comes  to 
know,  as  had  his  father,  that  "there  are 
two  women  in  every  man’s  life,  the  one 
he  lost  and  the  one  he  thanks  God  he 
got." 

Structurally  the  picture  adheres  close- 
ly to  the  plotting  of  the  book,  adapta- 
tion being  by  Bert  Granet,  the  screen 
play  itself  by  Dalton  Trumbo.  Why 
the  middle  man,  is  a matter  in  which 
your  guess  is  as  good  as  mine.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  the  film  embodies  the  tech- 
nique of  the  novel  to  a greater  extent 
than  is  commonly  to  be  seen  in  motion 
pictures. 


Greater  Selection  Required 

Most  of  the  picture’s  shortcomings, 
as  I see  it,  come  from  this  treatment  of 


the  story  material.  Hergesheimer  has 
dubbed  the  novel  the  "grab  bag”  of  lit- 
erature. Certainly  there  are  no  exacting 
principles  of  structure  or  content  behind 
the  form:  some  of  the  best  have  been 
part  essay  or  what  have  you.  Now, 
though  one  is  getting  on  thin  ice  when 
he  says  dogmatically  what  may  or  may 
not  go  into  either  a stage  play  or  a 
screen  play,  I think  it  can  safely  be 
affirmed,  as  a principle,  that  the  better 
screen  plays  favor  tbe  structure  charac- 
teristic of  stage  plays,  with  respect  to 
emphasis,  proportion  and  the  like. 

The  most  irrelevant  item  in  the  pic- 
ture is  the  carrying  on  of  two  habitual 
drunkards.  Their  prolonged  horseplay 
at  a Fourth  of  July  picnic,  during  which 
one  falls  off  a high  bridge,  advanced  the 
story  in  no  way.  The  drunken  epi- 
sodes, however,  will  cause  many  per- 
sons, especially  parents,  to  view  the 
film  with  disfavor,  when  they  might 
otherwise  have  commended  it. 

Denouement  Is  High  Spot 

C]  On  the  other  hand,  the  thread  of  the 
story  which  gives  the  film  most  of  its 
significance  and  emotional  appeal  could 
stand  a good  deal  more  elaboration — 
the  conflict  the  young  man  experiences 
between  his  love  for  the  girl  and  his 
desire  to  fulfill  his  ambition  to  be  a 
great  scientist,  the  fellow  having  an  un- 
usual ability. 

The  semi-tragic  denouement  is  the 
high  spot  of  the  picture.  There  is  a 
memorable  quality  to  the  scene  where 
the  young  man,  choked  with  emotion, 
sits  on  the  banister  of  the  front  porch 
and  looks  off  into  the  night,  as  he  hears 
the  train  whistle  which  means  the  girl 
be  loves  is  being  taken  out  of  his  life, 
to  become  the  bride  of  another.  The 
father  comes  out  just  long  enough  to 
tell  the  boy  about  the  two  women  in  a 
man’s  life,  speaking  from  his  own  expe- 
tience,  and  then  goes  back  in. 

Anne  Shirley  Impresses 

Other  stretches  of  mature  dialogue 
constitute  the  best  feature  of  Trumbo’s 
screen  play.  A speech  the  boy’s  father 
delivers  before  an  irrate  mob,  come  to 
his  house  bent  on  trouble,  has  eloquence 
and  meaning,  and  Edward  Ellis  gives 
it  impressively. 

Already  having  established  herself  as 
one  of  the  screen’s  outstanding  emotion- 
al actresses,  Anne  Shirley  should  find 
further  favor  with  audiences  in  her  per- 
formance of  the  girl  who  comes  to  real- 
ize there  is  an  insurmountable  barrier 
between  herself  and  the  young  man  of 
her  fancy — his  living  in  a different  men- 
tal world — a performance  of  delicacy 
and  thoughtfulness.  I would  chide  her 
gently  for  succumbing  to  the  lure  of 
the  standardized  long  eyelashes,  though 
they  were  evident,  from  what  I could 
observe,  only  in  the  opening  scene. 

As  the  young  man  John  Archer  has 
some  scenes  of  considerable  sincerity 


and  depth.  For  an  initial  screen  assign- 
ment, and  a big  one,  it  can  be  said  that 
he  does  very  well,  albeit  signs  of  inex- 
perience peep  out  here  and  there.  His 
voice  has  uncommon  resonance,  but 
needs  greater  tonal  variation. 

Supporting  Players  Competent 

t|  Another  contest  winner,  Alice  Eden, 
had  too  brief  a part  to  get  a just  esti- 
mate of  her  capability,  though  evidently 
she  can  stand  considerable  coaching. 
Janet  Beecher,  Samuel  S.  Hinds,  Leon 
Errol  and  Raymond  Hatton  are  well 
cast. 

Leigh  Jason  has  given  sensitive  direc- 
tion to  numerous  scenes,  is  inclined  to 
be  heavy  of  touch  at  other  times. 

Scenic  and  photographic  elements  en- 
hance the  picture.  The  documentary 
shots,  with  vocal  commentary,  of  the 
corn  and  sheep  and  other  characteristics 
of  Iowa,  however,  adds  nothing  to  the 
story,  which  establishes  its  own  back- 
ground satisfactorily. 

One  with  some  ideas  and  moments 
of  outstanding  emotional  poignancy, 
though  the  film  is  not  in  all  respects 
top-notch  fare.  Family  audiences  espe- 
cially should  like  it,  except  for  some 
prolonged  and  unnecessary  episodes  of 
drunkenness. 

Tamiroff  Displays 

Technical  Skill 

THE  MAGNIFICENT  FRAUD.  Paramount 

Producer  Harlan  Thompson 

Director  Robert  Florey 

Screen  play  Gilbert  Gabriel,  Walter  Ferris 
Original  Charles  G.  Booth 

Photography  William  Mellor 

Film  editor  James  Smith 

Music  director  Philip  Boutelje 

Cast:  Akim  Tamiroff,  Lloyd  Nolan,  Mary  Bo- 
land, Patricia  Morison,  Ralph  Forbes,  Steffi 
Duna,  Ernest  Cossart,  George  Zucco,  Robert 
Warwick,  Frank  Reicher,  Robert  Middlemass, 
Abner  Biberman,  Donald  Gallaher.  Running 
time,  75  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

£NDEAVORING  to  disentangle  the 
intricate  entwining  of  good  and  bad 
elements  of  a production  like  The  Mag- 
nificent Fraud,  weigh  them  in  the  bal- 
ance, and  arrive  at  a fair  estimate  of  the 
picture’s  total  worth,  is  one  of  the 
things  that  occasions  the  critic  silver 
threads  among  the  gold. 

The  personal  equation  will  play  a 
good  part  in  the  spectator’s  reception  of 
this  film.  If  very  romantic  in  outlook, 
he  may  be  intrigued  by  the  unusual 
turn  of  events:  if  dominantly  a realist, 
he  will  find  considerable  to  criticize. 
About  an  extremely  gifted  actor  who, 
with  crape  hair,  paint,  and  putty,  re- 
places the  president  of  a mythical  South 
American  republic  when  the  man  is  as- 
sassinated by  a bomb  explosion,  the  de- 
ceit being  engineered  by  other  political 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


figures,  since  a loan  of  some  millions  of 
dollars  from  American  financiers  is  in 
the  offing,  the  piece  probably  will  place 
a heavy  strain  on  the  sense  of  credibil- 
ity of  most  persons. 

Nothing  Wrong  With  Hokum 

<J  “But  don’t  you  think  a certain 
amount  of  hokum  is  a good  thing  in 
motion  pictures?  Limiting  story  mate- 
rial to  the  wholly  plausible  would  make 
tor  unoriginality  and  dryness,  would  it 
not?”  wondered  the  charming  young 
person  who  honored  me  with  her  com- 
pany on  my  trek  to  the  Village. 

“Hokum  is  great  stuff,”  I opined, 
“ — if  you  can  get  away  with  it.” 

Molnar’s  The  Guardsman  presented 
a similar  situation,  in  which  an  actor 
masquerades  as  a dashing  Russian  to 
test  his  wife’s  fidelity,  and  no  one  criti- 
cized the  play  on  the  score  of  plausibil- 
ity. The  figures  prancing  in  the  clock  at 
the  conclusion  of  The  Awful  Truth 
was  grand  hokum.  In  my  opinion, 
however,  The  Magnificent  Fraud  does 
not  get  away  with  it.  Why  it  does  not 
is  a matter  tied  up  with  purpose  and 
viewpoint  in  the  story  material. 

Portrayals  Impressive 

^ The  picture  is  made  to  serve  as  an 
out-and-out  tour  de  force  for  Akim 
Tamiroff.  Unquestionably  his  perform- 
ance as  the  presidential  impersonator, 
together  with  two  dramatic  sketches  in 
which  he  essays  Cyrano  de  Bergerac  and 
Napoleon,  and  poster  portraits  of  King 
Lear  and  Henry  VIII,  definitely  estab- 
lishes Tamiroff  as  a brilliant  technician, 
perhaps  the  foremost  on  the  screen.  The 
make-ups,  the  gestures,  the  intonations, 
are  done  with  master  strokes. 

Observe,  though,  that  I have  specified 
“technician.”  It  is  unfortunate  that 
the  actor’s  greatest  opportunity  should 
come  in  a role  which,  by  its  very  na- 
ture, precludes  that  personal  give  be- 
tween actor  and  audience,  that  flow  of 
sympathy  which  is  the  core  of  theatre. 

Again,  Genre  Trouble 

Other  performers  have  fared  but  lit- 
tle better  in  this  respect.  There  is  arti- 
fice clinging  to  the  whole  thing,  grow- 
ing out  of  the  screen  play  and,  to  some 
extent,  the  direction. 

It  would  seem  that  neither  the  screen 
play  scriptists,  Gilbert  Gabriel  and  Wal- 
ter Ferris,  nor  Director  Robert  Florey 
bad  too  sure  an  idea  as  to  just  what 
they  wanted  to  do  with  the  material. 
What  the  original  story  was  like,  Cavi- 
are For  His  Excellency , by  Charles  G. 
Booth,  I am  unable  to  say.  But  it  would 
be  to  the  advantage  of  the  screen  mate- 
rial to  have  been  couched  definitely  in  a 
genre  of  melodrama,  comedy,  or  drama. 

Stretches  of  the  dialogue  have  a rath- 
er admirable  succinctness,  especially  in 
early  expository  portions.  And  it  must 
be  conceded  that  the  writers  have  resort- 
ed to  considerable  device  to  make  the 
presidential  masquerade  seem  plausible. 


Amorous  scenes  between  Lloyd  Nolan 
and  Patricia  Morison,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  stilted  and  slushy.  Too,  story 
movement  lags  now  and  then. 

Paging  Mister  Hays 
CJ  Nolan,  good  trouper,  does  every- 
thing he  can  with  his  role  of  a dashing 
and  somewhat  rascally  American  oppor- 
tunist who  has  inserted  himself  into 
local  politics,  though  he  is  not  ideal 
casting  for  the  part — not  to  suggest 
that  tbe  role  is  any  plum.  Patricia  Mor- 
ison  has  a striking  comeliness,  but 
plainly  needs  more  experience. 

Mary  Boland  does  effective  trouping, 
though  her  performance  ranges  in  key 
all  the  way  from  farce,  at  the  beginning, 
to  serious  drama  at  the  close.  Miss  Bo- 
land, by  the  by,  is  the  only  person,  it 
develops,  who  was  not  taken  in  by  the 
deceit,  having  enjoyed  an  amour  with 
the  president  some  years  before  and,  to 
all  appearances,  having  resumed  it  with 
his  impersonator.  Catch  on? 

Another  element  of  the  risque  is  con- 
tributed by  the  dancing  of  Steffi  Duna, 
an  impassioned  and  wholly  torrid  ex- 
hibition, almost  too  much  so  for  a 
warm  night.  Mister  Hays  must  be 
slipping.  And  to  think  they  censored 
Claudette  Colbert’s  cancan. 

If  Hans  Dreier  and  Ernst  Fegte  in- 
tended to  add  an  air  of  fantasy  to  their 
palace  sets,  they  succeeded  fully,  since 
the  appointments  are  very  la-de-da. 
William  Mellor’s  photography,  Phil 
Boutelje’s  music,  Edith  Head’s  costumes 
and  other  technical  contributions  are 
pleasant. 

Part  of  the  magnificence  of  the  fraud, 
it  might  be  said,  comes  from  the  dra- 
matic climax  he  contrives  for  his  presi- 
dential role,  in  which  he  makes  a sacri- 
fice which  renders  him,  ironically,  a 
hero  in  fact — a good  twist. 

Impersonations  by  Akim  Tamiroff, 
done  with  master  strokes,  are  highly  in- 
teresting, hut  many  picture-goers  would 
find  the  story  one  in  which  they  could 
place  little  credence.  Some  slushy  love 
scenes  and  other  elements  make  it  not 
the  best  entertainment  for  children,  if 
indeed  they  would  find  it  eventful 
enough. 

Blondie  Picture 

Has  Airy  Spirit 

BLONDIE  TAKES  A VACATION,  Columbia 

Producer Robert  Sparks 

Director  Frank  R.  Strayer 

Photography  Henry  Freulich 

Film  editor  Viola  Lawrence 

Cast:  Penny  Singleton,  Arthur  Lake,  Larry 

Simms,  Daisy,  Danny  Mummert,  Donald 
Meek,  Donald  MacBride,  Thomas  W.  Ross, 
Elizabeth  Dunne,  Robert  Wilcox,  Harlan 
Briggs,  Irving  Bacon.  Running  time,  68  min 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
HIS  new  one  of  the  Blondie  series 
should  take  the  fancy  of  the  family 
trade  as  readily  as  have  the  earlier  pic- 


tures. And  even  those  picture-goers  who 
do  not  generally  favor  the  lower  budget 
productions  should  be  taken  in  by  the 
unusual  qualities  of  the  show — airiness, 
youthfulness,  buoyancy. 

In  a key  of  broad  farce  is  the  story, 
so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  one  wonders  if 
a little  more  emphasis  on  human  values 
would  not  have  been  to  the  picture’s  ad- 
vantage. There  is  some  good  fun  in  the 
tomfoolery,  however.  The  screen  play, 
by  Richard  Flournoy  from  a story  by 
perhaps  too  many  people,  has  the  short- 
coming of  a climax  which  leaves  Blondie 
and  Dagwood  on  the  sidelines,  the  cen- 
ter of  interest  being  little  Baby  Dump- 
ling and  another,  which  makes  the  con- 
clusion seem  a little  premature.  The 
vacationing  couple  lead  an  eventful  ex- 
istence up  till  then,  though. 

Baby  Very  Bright 

€J  Dialogue  is  racy  and  witty  in  a 
broad  sort  of  way.  Some  of  the  best 
lines  fall  to  little  Larry  Simms,  as  Baby 
Dumpling,  and  he  delivers  them  in  a 
fetching  way.  The  infant,  it  seems,  has 
become  so  precocious  that  he  views  the 
foibles  of  his  parents  with  a resigned 
tolerance  and,  on  occasion,  something 
very  near  to  superciliousness.  There  is 
humor  in  this  situation,  but  also  a cer- 
tain danger;  when  infants  become  too 
knowing  and  critical,  we  think  of  the 
hairbrush. 

Penny  Singleton  and  Arthur  Lake 
are  in  good  fettle  in  their  parts,  Donald 
Meek  makes  the  most  of  his  role  of  a 
weak-minded  old  fellow  with  an  over- 
fondness for  playing  with  matches,  and 
voung  Danny  Mummert,  Donald  Mac- 
Bride  and  others  are  seen  to  advantage. 

Frank  Strayer’s  direction  fully  real- 
izes, and  probably  augments,  the  humor 
and  sparkle  in  the  script.  His  sympa- 
thetic handling  of  Daisy  is  especially 
notable,  a highly  expert  performance 
being  given  by  the  talented  canine. 

Henry  Freulich’s  photography  and 
the  art  direction  of  Lionel  Banks  are 
important  factor  in  the  agreeable  at- 
important  factors  in  the  agreeable  at- 

Its  buoyancy  and  the  likeableness  of 
its  characters  make  it  enjoyable  enter- 
tainment of  the  unpretentious  kind.  The 
story  is  broadly  farcical,  but  you  should 
have  no  trouble  in  abandoning  yourself 
to  it. 


Mimeographing 

Multigraphing 

JEANNE  EDWARDS 

1655  North  Cherokee 
(at  Hollywood  Blvd.) 
GRanite  0330 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  SEVEN 


Character  Study 

Lacking  in  Study 

I STOLE  A MILLION.  Universal 
Producer  ...  Burt  Kelly 

Director  Frank  Tuttle 

Screen  play  Nathanael  West 

Photography  Milton  Krasner 

Film  editor  Ed  Curtiss 

Music  director  Charles  Previn 

Cast:  George  Raft.  Claire  Trevor,  Dick  Foran, 
Henry  Armetta,  Victor  Jory,  Joe  Sawyer,  Rob- 
ert Elliot,  Tom  Fadden,  John  Hamilton,  Stanley 
Ridges,  George  Chandler.  Mary  Forbes,  Phil 
Tead,  Wallis  Clark,  Irving  Bacon,  Hobart 
Cavanaugh,  John  Butler.  Mira  McKinney,  Jerry 
Marlowe,  Jason  Robards.  Claire  Whitney, 
Sarah  Padden,  Harold  Minjir,  Ed  Chandler, 
Frances  Morris.  Mary  Foy,  Edmund  MacDon- 
ald. Constance  Romanoff,  Lee  Murray,  Ernie 
Adams,  A1  Hill,  Hal  K.  Dawson,  Henry  Roque- 
more,  Mike  Lally,  Jim  O'Gatty. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

OW  is  a desperado  born?  Well,  it’s 
like  dis,  kids — a fellow  tries  to  be 
an  all  right  guy,  see?  But  them  coppers 
jist  won’t  leave  him  alone,  keep  follow- 
in’ him  up,  even  when  he  has  married 
a swell  skoit  and  settled  down  in  a lit- 
tle joint  where  he  goes  to  choich  ever 
Sunday  and  has  built  a garage  into  a 
dandy  business.  Dey  jist  won’t  forgit 
t’ings.  Well,  maybe  de  guy  was  a little 
hot-headed  and  stubborn  and  tried  too 
much  to  do  t’ings  his  own  way  instead 
of  de  law’s  way,  but  inside  he  has  a 
heart  of  gold,  see?  He  ain’t  really  like 
most  criminals. 

Well,  de  foist  t’ing  you  know,  bein’ 
treaded  like  dis,  de  guy  is  holdin’  up 
post  offices  and  mail  trains.  Dat’s  de 
way  it  goes.  See? 

Generous  With  Excitements 

Having  hinted  at  the  spirit  and  de- 
velopments of  I Stole  a Million,  allow 
me  to  dispense  with  the  jargon — it  is 
too  much  trouble  to  write.  Purport- 
ing to  be  a character  study  of  an  indi- 
vidual during  his  degeneration  from 
taxi  driver  to  desperado,  the  film  in 
reality  is  just  another  gangster  tale,  with 
the  usual  generous  emphasis  on  gun 
play,  automobile  chases  and  sundry  ex- 
citements. 

Universal  has  published  an  attractive 
little  booklet,  in  which  characters  of 
the  story,  opposite  their  photographs, 
express  divergent  interpretations  of  Joe’s 
character,  and  from  these  analyses  it 
would  seem  that  somebody  at  one  time 
or  another  had  some  ideas  which  might 
have  been  the  basis  for  a film  of  consid- 
erable significance.  But  the  place  for  in- 
terpretation is  on  the  screen,  not  in  a 
booklet. 

Should  Thrill  the  Goils 

Perhaps  the  script  gave  George  Raft 
little  to  start  with  in  the  way  of  a char- 
acter, but  evidently  he  has  not  placed 
himself  under  any  strain  in  trying  to 
work  out  a dimensional  characteriza- 


tion. T he  player’s  sensuous-eyed  epi- 
sodes will  doubtless  thrill  his  Eighth 
Avenue  feminine  contingent  and  their 
counterparts  elsewhere,  however,  and 
that  was  probably  the  primary  purpose 
behind  the  production  at  the  beginning. 

Claire  Trevor  does  good  trouping. 
Her  diction  and  demeanor  seem  a trifle 
elegant  in  view  of  the  background  this 
character  was  supposed  to  have,  but  per- 
haps I am  being  hypercritical,  since  such 
details  are  considered  trivial  in  contem- 
porary film  production. 

Encore  For  Jory 

•J  Dick  Foran  gives  a thoughtful  per- 
formance, and  Victor  Jory  does  well 
also,  cast  as  a criminal.  We  should  see 
more  of  him.  Tom  Fadden  and  one  or 
two  others  are  capable. 

Art  direction,  supervised  by  Jack  Ot- 
terson,  is  an  attribute,  and  Milton 
Krasner’s  photography  is  standard. 

Frank  Tuttle  directed. 

Another  gangster  story. 

Sandy  Engenders 
Halves  of  “ Cutes 

UNEXPECTED  FATHER.  Universal 
Producer  Ken  Goldsmith 

Director  Charles  Lamont 

Screen  play::  Leonard  Spigelgass,  Charles 

Grayson. 

Photography  George  Robinson 

Film  editor  Ted  Kent 

Musical  direction  Charles  Previn 

Cast:  Sandy  Lee,  Shirley  Ross,  Dennis 

O'Keefe,  Mischa  Auer,  Joy  Hodges,  Dorothy 
Arnold,  Anne  Gwynne,  Anne  Nagel,  Donald 
Briggs,  Richard  Lane,  Paul  Guilfoyle,  Mayo 
Methot,  Jane  Darwell,  Spencer  Charter,  Ygor 
and  Tanya.  Running  time,  73  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
HOSE  with  maternal  or  paternal  feel- 
ings— and  who  hasn’t  one  or  the 
other,  more  or  less? — will  find  much 
gratification  in  Unexpected  Father,  in 
which  the  blond  and  cooing  Baby  Sandy 
disports.  The  baby  is  a captivating  tot. 
A wave  of  “cutes”  from  the  preview 
audience  attended  each  of  his  grimaces. 

Moreover,  Sandy  is  a craftsman  who 
could  teach  many  of  his  elder  colleagues 
a thing  or  two  about  screen  acting.  He 
feels  everything  intensely,  never  over- 
plays, resorts  to  no  artifices  of  make-up, 
is  the  most  subtle  and  natural  of  actors. 

I do  hope  Miss  Sandy  will  forgive 
my  misapplication  of  gender:  he  is — 
that  is,  she  is — that  good  an  imper- 
sonator. 

Involves  Back-Stage  Life 

tj  Several  incidents  of  the  story  seem 
just  a bit  forced,  but  the  tailor-made 
screen  play  for  starring  Sandy  is  not  a 
bad  concoction.  Centering  about  the- 
atre life,  it  provides  back-stage  glamour 
and  opportunity  for  a couple  of  dance 
numbers  to  bolster  up  sagging  moments. 


Movement  as  a whole,  however,  is 
pretty  good.  Feonard  Spigelgass  and 
Charles  Grayson  did  it. 

An  entertainer  and  his  girl  friend,  of 
the  chorus,  take  the  infant  under  their 
wing,  following  the  death  of  its  parents 
in  an  automobile  accident,  the  child’s 
mother  having  been  a former  dancing 
partner  of  the  young  man.  Before  the 
close  of  the  story  nearly  everybody  in 
the  cast  is  willing  to  marry  someone, 
when  it  is  believed  the  authorities  in- 
tend to  place  the  baby  in  an  orphanage, 
in  view  of  the  absence  of  a domestic 
establishment  among  the  devoted  deni- 
zens of  the  theatre  world.  The  enter- 
tainer and  his  girl  friend  have  become 
estranged. 

Climax  Is  Exciting 

•I  A breathless  climax  reminiscent  of  the 
old  Harold  Floyd  stunting  comes  about 
when  the  baby  crawls  out  on  the  ledge 
of  a high  building.  There  were  actual 
shrieks  in  the  audience  when  Mischa 
Auer,  in  pursuit,  falls  off. 

Players  in  support  of  the  youthful 
star  are  in  good  fettle,  and  include  Shir- 
ley Ross,  individual  and  charming:  Den- 
nis O'Keefe,  gingery:  and  the  afore- 
’’  mentioned  Mischa  Auer,  broad  but 
funny.  Paul  Guilfoyle  and  Mayo  Me- 
thot characterize  effectively  a pair'  of 
rough-necks.  A dance  team,  Ygor  and 
Tanya,  are  in  the  sensational  class  in 
the  acrobatic  dance  field. 

Posies  are  due  Charles  Famont,  direc- 
tor, for  his  coaxing  or  scheming  or  both 
to  get  the  reactions  from  Baby  Sandy. 

Jack  Otterson's  art  direction,  George 
Robinson’s  photography,  Charles  Prev- 
in’s musical  supervision,  and  the  gowns 
of  Vera  West  are  assets. 

Centers  about  the  captivating  Baby 
Sandy,  with  back-stage  life  and  some 
dance  specialties  thrown  in.  Acceptable 
entertainment  of  the  popular  sort. 

It  Introduces 

a Clever  Comic 

MILLION  DOLLAR  LEGS,  Paramount 
Associate  producer  William  C.  Thomas 

Director  Nick  Grinde 

Assistant  director  Joseph  Leiert 

Screen  play  Lewis  R.  Foster,  Richard  English 
Original  Lewis  R.  Foster 

Photography  Harry  Fischbeck 

Film  editor  Arthur  Schmidt 

Cast:  Betty  Grable,  John  Hartley,  Donald 

O'Connor,  Jackie  Coogan,  Dorothea  Kent, 
Joyce  Mathews,  Peter  Hayes,  Larry  Crabbe, 
Richard  Denning,  Phillip  Warren,  Edward  Ar- 
nold, Jr„  Thurston  Hall,  Roy  Gordon,  Matty 
Kemp,  William  Tracy.  Running  time,  63  min- 
utes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
HERE  is  really  but  one  reason  for 
reviewing  Million  Dollar  Legs,  since 
you  have  already  seen  the  picture  many, 
many,  many  times  before.  Better  add 
another  “many.”  It  is  a college  picture 


PAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


and  this  time  the  sport  is  crew  racing — 
formula  2d  in  the  little  blue  book. 

The  one  reason,  let  me  hasten  to 
elucidate,  is  that  the  offering  serves  to 
introduce  to  picture  audiences  a certain 
Peter  Hayes,  a young  man  with  very 
unusual  gifts  as  a comedian. 

We  Begin  At  Beginning 

€J  With  your  indulgence,  however,  I 
shall  begin  at  the  beginning  of  my  im- 
pression of  the  chap’s  ability.  One 
night  some  weeks  ago  I stayed  on  to  see 
the  stage  show  following  a preview  at 
the  Paramount  theatre.  Onto  the  stage 
came  a young  fellow  nattily  attired  in  a 
white  Palm  Beach  suit,  loaded  with 
poise,  flashing  an  expansive  smile,  and 
generally  exuding  class  with  the  capital 
“A.”  Following  an  agreeable  turn  of 
song,  he  went  into  his  principal  offer- 
ing, a series  of  impersonations  of  every- 
one from  Rudy  Vallee  to  Lionel  Barry- 
more. Well,  the  lad  wowed  ’em,  to  bor- 
row a figure  from  the  parlance  of  var- 
iety. They  clapped  and  whistled  for 
more;  and  this  in  a house  where,  its 
stage  presentations  now  on  too  low  a 
production  budget,  I have  seen  eggs 
laid — to  borrow  another  figure  from 
variety  — the  size  of  dinosaurs’.  Or 
did  dinosaurs  lay  eggs? 

Anyway,  the  fellow's  wit,  his  salty 
sense  of  caricature,  his  ear  for  the  re- 
production of  tonal  values,  and  his 
range  of  vocal  effects  and  gestures  were 
remarkable. 

Has  Exceptional  Potentialities 

<][  Being  a firm  believer  in  the  adage 
about  a beaten  track  to  one’s  door  if  he 
can  do  anything  uncommonly  well,  I 
predicted  then  that  we  would  soon  be 
hearing  from  the  chap  in  a larger  way. 
And  here  he  is  with  a fat  part  in  the 
“moom  pichures.” 

Hayes  brings  with  him  his  bounteous 
bag  of  tricks.  There  is  something  fas- 
cinating in  his  constantly  and  widely 
varied  assaults  of  vocal  effects,  gestures, 
and  facial  play.  That  he  gives  a char- 
acterization, I will  not  vouch  for — 
though  his  role,  of  course,  was  written 
merely  as  a gag  part.  Still,  he  might 
have  been  a little  more  selective  with 
his  tricks.  Moreover,  much  of  what  he 
does  needs  some  modification  for  cine- 
matic purposes;  it  is  a bit  too  physical 
and  too  broad.  And  yet  he  takes  every 
scene  in  which  he  appears,  fills  the  screen 
with  animation,  humor,  and  warmth. 
The  actor  has  exceptional  potentialities. 
He  needs  more  sophisticated  story  mate- 
rial, however. 

Do  Drop  Us  a Card 

The  others  are  all  right,  including 
Betty  Grable,  though  she  screams  some 
of  her  lines,  John  Hartley,  Donald 
O’Connor,  Jackie  Coogan,  and  others. 

His  directorial  assignment  called  for 
no  subtlety,  and  Nick  Grinde  has  not 
bothered  to  impose  any. 


If  you  are  a college  student  who 
wears  loud  clothes,  never  even  speaks 
of  a book,  spends  most  of  the  waking 
hours  bouncing  about  and  yelling  or 
stewing  over  fraternity  pins  or  athletic 
teams,  by  all  means  see  the  film,  as  you 
will  convulse  over  the  humor,  and  work 
vourself  into  hysteria  at  the  climax. 
Only,  if  you  are  such  a person,  do  drop 
me  a post  card  and  I shall  spend  my 
next  vacation  looking  you  up.  I have 
never  seen  such  a creature. 

Another  college  yarn,  centering  this 
time  about  crew  racing.  You  know  the 
rest.  Except  that  the  picture  introduces 
a clever  young  comedian  who  will  bear 
watching,  the  name,  Peter  Hayes. 


About  Some  One  V 
Killing  Somebody 


NEWS  IS  MADE  AT  NIGHT,  20th-Fox 


Executive  producer  Sol  M.  Wurtzel 

Producer  Edward  Kaufman 

Director  Alfred  Werker 

Original  screen  play John  Larkin 

Photography  Ernest  Palmer 

Film  editor  Nick  De  Maggio 

Musical  direction  Samuel  Kaylin 


Cast:  Preston  Foster,  Lynn  Bari,  Russell  Glea- 
son, George  Barbier,  Eddie  Collins,  Minor 
Watson,  Charles  Halton,  Paul  Harvey,  Richard 
Lane,  Charles  Lane,  Betty  Compson,  Paul  Fix, 
Paul  Guilfoyle.  Running  time,  70  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
liJOT  a bad  B show.  The  picture  is 
iV  slow  in  gaining  our  interest,  largely 
because  the  exposition  is  rather  clumsy, 
but  once  under  way  it  presents  some 
suspensive  situations  and  provocative 
comedy  touches.  The  story  is  princip- 
ally about  newspaper  people,  about  a 
managing  editor  and  a comely  feminine 
reporter  who  suspect  that  a man  facing 
the  lethal  gas  chamber,  convicted  of 
murder,  is  really  innocent,  and  that 
someone  else  shot  somebody  for  some 
reason  or  other,  a band  of  gangsters 
and  a mysterious  underworld  boss  fig- 
uring in  the  pernicious  enterprise.  I am 
not  too  sure  yet  about  this  primary  cir- 


cumstance. 


Possibly  it  is  explained  clearly  enough 
if  one  is  alert,  but  audience  alertness 
cannot  be  assumed.  In  good  screen  writ- 
ing the  identity  of  characters  and  their 
relationships  should  be  evident  however 
passive  the  attitude  of  the  spectator.  The 
attention  of  any  audience  is  something 
which  must  be  won.  It  grows  along 
v/ith  interest  in  the  story,  and  interest 
is  dependent  on  our  familiarity  with 
the  characters  and  situations.  Screen 
audiences  are  more  attracted  by  what 
they  see  than  what  they  hear. 


Has  Jaunty  Air 

Cl  The  saving  grace  of  the  film  is  the 
humor  which  Author  John  Larkin  has 
injected  into  it.  Apparently  perceiving 
the  importance  of  the  comedy  values, 


Alfred  Werker  has  played  them  up  cap- 
ably in  his  direction,  probably  impro- 
vising a bit,  with  the  result  that  the 
piece  acquires  at  times  a very  jaunty 
spirit.  A scene  in  which  an  actor,  hired 
to  impersonate  a dying  gangster,  loses 
his  putty  nose,  though  preposterous,  is 
capital  buffoonery. 

Preston  Foster  plays  with  his  usual 
vigor  and  conviction.  On  reflection,  I 
have  not  seen  him  give  other  than  a 
good  show.  Lynn  Bari  is  spritely  and 
attractive  as  the  heroine,  and  Eddie 
Collins  stands  out  with  his  clowning. 
Russell  Gleason,  George  Barbier,  and 
Minor  Watson  are  well  cast. 

Newspaper  Office  Disagreeable 
<fl  On  the  production  side,  Ernest  Pal- 
mer has  provided  some  dramatic  photo- 
graphic effects,  an  especially  good  one 
being  a crane  shot,  which  swoops  down 
on  a prisoner  isolated  in  a square  cage 
in  the  middle  of  a large  room,  being 
under  individual  guard.  Sets  and  back- 
grounds are  agreeable. 

Adding  no  appeal  to  the  picture  is 
the  atmosphere  it  attributes  to  a news- 
paper office.  Newspaper  people,  it  seems, 
work  in  an  environment  of  incessant 
bickering,  rudeness,  and  authoritative 
reprehension. 

Standard  B entertainment,  but  noth- 
ing more.  A mystery  yarn,  it  is  slow 
to  gain  interest,  but  some  of  the  laughs 
are  substantial . Not  objectionable  for 
the  children. 


Rooney  Coins  Laughs 
in  Domestic  Comedy 


ANDY  HARDY  GETS  SPRING  FEVER.  MGM 
Director  W.  S.  Van  Dyke 

Screen  play  Kay  Van  Riper 

Characters  Aurania  Houverol 

Musical  score  Edward  Ward.  David  Snell 
Recording  director  Doualas  Shearer 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Associate  art  director  Stan  Rogers 

Set  decorations  Edwin  B.  Willis 

Film  editor  Ben  Lewis 


Cast:  Lewis  Stone,  Mickey  Rooney,  Cecilia 

Parker,  Fay  Holden,  Ann  Rutherford,  Sara 
Haden,  Helen  Gilbert,  Terry  Kilburn,  John  T. 
Murray,  George  Breakston,  Charles  Peck,  Sid- 
ney  Miller,  Addison  Richards,  Olaf  Hylton, 
Erville  Alderson,  Robert  Kent.  Running  time. 


87  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  George  T urner 


rO  THOROUGHLY  understand  the 
appeal  of  domestic  comedy,  if  for  no 
other  reason,  one  should  see  this  picture. 
The  old  apothegm,  “How  true  that  is! 
applies  to  much  of  the  characterization, 
as  one  might  expect.  But  in  a play 
packed  with  laughs,  any  layman  can 
appreciate  the  role  direction  has  in  pav- 
ing the  way  and  bringing  out  to  best 
advantage  spoken  lines,  and  this  first  of 
the  Hardy  family  series  to  be  directed 
by  W.  S.  Van  Dyke  pays  tribute  in  de- 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  NINE 


tail  to  his  judgment.  It  is  excellent  en- 
tertainment. 

The  cast  has  done  a noble  job — 
showing  the  advantage  of  previous 
working  together  in  parts  individually 
contrasting,  clear-cut  and  well  compre- 
hended: and  this  seventh  of  the  Hardy 
scries  has  story  value,  however  familiar 
its  main  situations,  for  the  play  moves 
without  dull  moments  and  provides  as 
fine  a vehicle  for  that  talented  young- 
ster, Mickey  Rooney,  as  can  well  be 
conceived. 

New  Player  Does  Well 

•J  It  deals  primarily  with  the  adolescent 
susceptibility  of  the  sixteen-year-old  for 
his  new  dramatic  teacher,  some  years 
older:  in  balance  being  the  business 

worries  of  Judge  Hardy,  who  has  in- 
duced friends  to  invest  in  a deal  which 
proves  crooked.  The  teacher  is  portray- 
ed by  Helen  Gilbert,  recently  a cello 
player  in  the  MGM  orchestra.  It  is  her 
first  picture,  and  the  role,  difficult  as  it 
is,  reveals  Miss  Gilbert  as  a promising 
actress.  Seldom  does  one  see  a bit  of 
nuance  so  well  handled,  for  example, 
as  in  the  opening  school  scene  where, 
while  addressing  her  class,  the  teacher 
becomes  conscious  of  the  amorous  re- 
gard of  Mickey.  Throughout  the  play, 
Miss  Gilbert  acts  with  a refinement  and 
restraint  that  relieve  the  main  situation 
of  that  which  could  easily  become  re- 
pellent and  cheap. 

Andy  (Mickey)  is  studying  Romeo 
and  Juliet,  and  barely  over  his  rebuff 
by  Polly  Benedict  (Ann  Rutherford), 
he  remarks,  "I  used  to  think  that  kiss- 
ing Polly  Benedict  was  more  important 
than  Shakespeare” — providing  one  of 
the  heartiest  laughs  of  the  show.  He 
confides  his  affliction  to  his  father  (Lewis 
Stone) , who  is  expressively  tolerant. 
The  presentation  of  Mickey’s  play, 
where  the  jilted  Tahitian  lass  (Ann 
Rutherford)  jumps  into  a volcano  as  a 
climax,  and  Mickey  in  an  admiral’s  uni- 
form forgets  his  lines  upon  discovering 
that  his  adored  teacher  has  a lover,  is  a 
rollicking  sequence  near  the  end  of  the 
play. 

Takes  Farcical  Turn 

Throughout  are  pardonable  exagger- 
ations of  realism,  verging  close  to  farce 
comedy  at  times.  But  dialogue  clever- 
ness and  an  established  sympathy  for 
the  characters  compensate.  The  most 
avid  patron  of  costumed  historical  ro- 
mance can  scarcely  fail  to  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  this  type  of  domestic  comedy, 
which  cannot  be  judged  by  drab,  arti- 
ficial offerings  of  the  past.  It  vindi- 
cates the  long  appeal  of  radio  family 
stories,  adding  that  brilliancy  and  in- 
timacy which  only  visualized  scenes  can 
supply.  Its  acting  requirements  in  many 
phases  seem  actually  greater  than  in 
more  grandiloquent  portrayals.  Kay 
Van  Riper’s  dialogue  habitually  meets 
the  situation  and  sparkles. 


Lewis  Stone,  as  Judge  Hardy,  is  all 
that  can  be  desired,  and  Ann  Ruther- 
ford, as  Polly  Benedict,  is  archly  ex- 
pressive at  all  times.  She  is  to  appear 
as  Scarlet  O’Hara’s  younger  sister  in 
Gone  With  the  Wind. 

Universal  appeal,  and  particularly 
gratifying  to  women  and  youngsters, 
end  all  who  enjoy  domestic  situations. 
From  a study  angle  there  is  much  to 
observe  in  build-up,  contrast,  move- 
ment and  balance. 


Forty  Years  of  Film 
Dash  by  in  Review 

Reviewed  by  George  Turner 

fORE  than  forty  years  of  motion  pic- 
ture history  is  briefly  sketched  in 
this  interestingly  reminiscent  showing, 
which,  for  those  who  did  not  see  the 
first  crude  beginnings,  provides  many  a 
chuckle.  But  it  is  worth  bearing  in 
mind  that  the  early  flickers  had  as  much 
thrill  in  one  way  as  our  super-spectacles 
have  in  another,  and  there  were  change 
and  progress  and  many  a big  surprise  to 
keep  them  popular. 

From  the  famous  kissing  couple  of 
1896,  recognizable  as  May  Irwin  and 
John  C.  Rice,  to  an  actual  cinema  play, 
The  Great  Train  Robbery,  of  1903,  is 
a stupendous  stride.  The  hurling  of  the 
dummy  from  the  speeding  train  after 
the  death-dealing  struggle  was  not  a 
laugh  thirty-six  years  ago,  despite  its 
unlifelike  appearance.  Youngsters  today 
will  find  it  hard  to  believe  it  was  not 
intended  as  burlesque.  The  same  is 
true  of  much  else  in  the  sagas  of  film- 
dom.  Among  the  glimpsed  milestones 
are  Tillie's  Punctured  Romance  with 
Marie  Dressier  and  Chaplin;  on  to 
The  Birth  of  a Nation.  1913,  which 
introduces  Lillian  Gish  in  this  first 
feature-length  picture  and  immortal- 
izes D.  W.  Griffith,  producer.  Then 
the  birth  of  western  serials,  showing 
Bill  Hart  gaming  and  shooting;  the 
Mack  Sennett  and  Theda  Bara  era, 
Mary  Garden  in  Thais',  then  the  ’20s 
— Rudolph  Valentino  in  The  Sheik, 
Douglas  Fairbanks,  Sr.,  in  Robin  Hood, 
where  vast  scenic  interiors  loomed  upon 
an  astonished  public;  The  Big  Parade. 

Good-bye  to  silent  pictures.  A1  Jol- 
son  appears  in  I he  Jazz  Singer;  another 
jump  to  All  Quiet  on  the  Western 
Front,  and  we  leap  to  Paul  Muni  in 
Emile  Zola.  In  this  panorama  of  years 
we  have  caught  sight  of  other  familiars: 
Ben  Turpin,  Renee  Adoree,  John  Gil- 
bert, Karl  Dane,  Will  Rogers,  Diana 
Wynward,  Greta  Garbo — some  of  these 
never  to  be  seen  again,  and  the  March  of 
Time  sets  us  thinking  in  a different 
mood  than  usual. 


Potentates  of  the  industry  are  view- 
ed in  their  offices:  Hays,  Joe  Green, 

censor:  de  Mille,  the  Schencks,  Zanuck, 
Harry  Warner,  and  the  famed  inventor, 
de  Forest.  Would  that  there  might 
have  been  a shot  of  Edison  at  work  on 
the  first  “moving  picture”  at  Orange, 
New  Jersey. 

Some  twenty-five  principal  scenes  are 
given  throughout  the  program,  and 
they  come  from  the  New  York  Museum 
of  Modern  Art,  which  is  said  to  house 
the  only  complete  collection  of  produc- 
tions. The  historical  review  looks  for- 
ward in  the  mention  of  Chaplin’s  The 
Dictator  and  Gone  With  the  Wind, 
both  long  in  preparation,  and  John 
Steinbeck's  Grapes  of  Wrath,  for  which 
Zanuck  has  paid  $75,000.  With  such 
rations  time  indeed  marches  on. 


G lea  sou  Family  in 
JVell  Directed  One 

SHOULD  HUSBANDS  WORK.  Republic 

Associate  producer  Sol  C.  Siegel 

Director  Gus  Meins 

Original  screen  play:  Jack  Townley,  Taylor 

Caven. 

Photographer  Jack  Marta 

Film  editor  William  Morgan 

Art  director  John  Victor  Mackay 

Musical  director  Cy  Feuer 

Cast:  James  Gleason,  Lucile  Gleason,  Rus- 

sell Gleason,  Harry  Davenport,  Marie  Wilson, 
Mary  Hart,  Tommy  Ryan,  Berton  Churchill, 
Henrv  Kolker,  Arthur  Hoyt,  Barry  Norton, 
Mary  Forbes,  William  Brisbane,  Harry  Brad- 
ley. 

Reviewed  by  Tom  Miranda 
HE  laugh-provoking  Gleason  family 
take  us  through  another  series  of  hi- 
larious episodes  in  the  lives  of  a scenar- 
ist’s idea  of  a typical  midwest  home, 
in  this  well-directed  and  most  capably 
acted  film  from  Republic  studios. 

Harry  Davenport,  as  “Dad”  scores 
heavily  in  an  exaggerated  portrayal  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Midwest’s  average  grand- 
pa, and  keeps  the  audience  highly  amus- 
ed by  his  moronic  antics. 

A Tip  to  Ambitious  Wives 

€fl  The  highlights  of  the  film  are  too 
numerous  to  mention.  One,  however, 
which  should  cause  all  ambitious  wives 
who  see  the  film  to  hesitate  and  ponder 
well  the  situation  before  attempting  to 
solve  their  husbands'  problems,  is 
where  Lucille  Gleason  takes  a hand. 

Her  husband  has  been  summoned  be- 
fore a board  of  directors  to  qualify  for 
the  managership  of  a new  cosmetic 
manufacturing  plant.  Through  the  in- 
sane habits  of  “Dad,”  said  husband 
awakes  from  his  night's  sleep  in  the 
family  trailer  on  the  shore  of  a lake  in 
the  mountains  the  morning  of  his  ap- 
pointment. His  wife,  hoping  to  save 
his  face,  forces  herself  into  the  presence 
of  the  assembled  board  of  directors,  and 
( Continued  on  page  11) 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Jilin  IJfuJ/c  ant!  tflakete 


HE  title  They  Shall  Have  Music  is  a 
decidedly  appropriate  one  for  the  lat- 
est Goldwyn  picture,  in  which  Jascha 
Heifetz  “plays  himself”  and  his  Stradi- 
various  on  a large  scale.  Not  intending 
any  innuendo,  I feel  that  the  title  of  this 
film  is  as  significant  as  the  qualities  of 
the  picture.  Goldwyn  may  not  have 
purposed  to  make  a picture  propagand- 
izing the  right  of  every  child  to  an 
early  opportunity  in  musical  training, 
nevertheless  he  has  done  so.  And  he  has 
done  it  splendidly. 

If  I say  that  the  story,  the  filmization 
or  the  playing  of  Jascha  Heifetz  never 
caused  me  one  beat  of  piercing  heart- 
ache, not  one  moment  of  throat  stric- 
ture, not  a drop  of  eye  moisture,  then 
the  reader  should  take  this  as  a purely 
personal  reaction.  No  one  should  miss 
They  Shall  Have  Music,  although  it 
does  not  possess  that  inner  urgency  and 
genuine  emotional  excitement  and  ela- 
tion which  distinguished  the  musical 
and  histrionic-dramatic  elements  in  One 
Hundred  Men  and  a Girl.  But  the  race 
is  a close  one. 

Splendid  Achievement 

Cf  This  Goldwyn  picture  is  a splendid 
musical  achievement  in  itself,  apart  from 
its  general  human  or  social  implications. 
To  have  induced  Jascha  Heifetz  to 
come  out  of  his  music-aristocratic  shell 
of  necessary  isolation  and  play  before 
a photographic  sound  camera,  that  alone 
entitles  Samuel  Goldwyn  to  world-wide 
thanks.  It  is  useless  to  lament  the  ab- 
sence of  a sound-film  record  recording 
Beethoven  playing,  Wagner  conduct- 
ing. and  so  on.  Moonlight  Sonata  with 
Paderewski  had  decided  shortcomings, 
yet  I will  be  one  of  the  first  to  see  and 
hear  it  again,  although  I found  it  im- 
possible to  sit  through  the  last  recital 
given  here  by  the  illustrious  Pole.  Or 
I shall  go  to  see  the  film,  because  of  the 
tragedy  of  his  last  concert. 

Heifetz  plays  the  violin  in  The y 
Shall  Have  Music  with  that  miraculous 
poise  and  perfection  which  have  made 
so  many  of  his  personal  appearances 
such  strangely  hypnotic  experiences.  The 
screen  provides  more  than  a master  lesson 
for  all  violinists,  for  there  is  hardly  an 
angle  or  a close-up  which  does  not 
concentrate  on  the  super-virtuoso’s  fin- 
gers travelling  with  well  nigh  magic 
sureness  up  and  down  the  finger  board. 
His  right  hand  and  bow  is  seen  travers- 
ing the  strings,  coaxing  and  ordering 
them  into  lovely  and  impelling  elo- 
quence. The  camera  lense  studies  his 
face,  searching  it  for  those  inner  springs 
of  feeling,  fantasy  and  fertility  of  ex- 
pressional  strength  which  have  made 
Heifetz  the  idolized  violinist  he  is.  It 
is  intriguing  to  try  and  read  this  face 
which  bespeaks  artistic  integrity  and 


human  intensity.  It  also  is  a face  that 
can  be  easily  misread.  Ultimately,  this 
is  a music  film  and  a music  film  while 
made  for  the  eye,  comes  up  for  final  ver- 
dict before  the  ear. 

Page  Mr,  Newman 

q That  every  care  has  been  taken  to 
insure  an  excellent  recording  may  be 
taken  for  granted.  The  Goldwyn  staff, 
and  Alfred  Newman,  musical  director 
in  charge  of  the  score  and  musical  ren- 
ditions, who  is  seen  in  one  scene  giving 
Heifetz  a fine  orchestra  accompaniment 
in  the  Saint-Saens  Rondo  Capriccioso, 
have  gone  to  full  efforts.  Paul  Neal,  in 
charge  of  recording,  who  did  such  beau- 
tiful work  when  recording  the  score  for 
Stagecoach  and  Wuthering  Heights, 
again  controlled  the  microphones.  Some 
of  his  best  tone  quality  was  hardened 
and  thus  spoiled  during  the  preview, 
because  sound  volume  was  too  big.  How 
long  will  it  take  before  those  in  charge 
of  previews  will  learn  that  loud,  explo- 
sive sound  is  anything  but  beautiful  or 
convincing,  that  it  is  the  very  opposite 
from  being  expressive? 

Heifetz  is  heard  in  the  Saint-Saens 
opus  already  mentioned:  the  Hora  Stac- 
cato, by  Dinico:  Estrellita,  his  own  ar- 
rangement: and  the  finale  from  the 

Mendelssohn  violin  concerto.  The  pro- 
gram lists  also  the  Tschaikowsky  Mel- 
ody, but  I must  confess  to  not  recalling 
this  piece,  which  lapse  I can  explain 
only  by  saying  that  in  trying  to  gain  a 
most  complete  impression,  some  things 
are  apt  to  slip  through  the  meshes  of 
memory. 

Children's  Orchestra 

q This  is  not  the  first  time  that  I hesi- 
tate praising  Heifetz,  not  because  I think 
praise  should  be  withheld,  but  for  rea- 
sons of  his  established  superlativeness. 
As  Deems  Taylor  remarks  in  the  pre- 
view program,  one  may  not  always  be 
wholly  at  one  with  Heifetz  the  artist, 
yet  he  ranks  beyond  disagreement. 

Great  praise  is  due  to  Peter  Merem- 
blum  and  his  Southern  California  Ju- 
nior Symphony.  They  are  heard  in 
highly  musical  readings  of  the  accom- 
paniment to  Heifetz’s  performance  of 
Mendelssohn  and  the  Barber  of  Se- 
ville overture  by  Rossini,  slightly  re- 
scored I think.  They  also  accompany 
Verdi’s  Caro  Nome  and  Bellini’s  Casta 
Diva  arias,  sung  by  a truly  remarkable 
child  soprano,  Jacqueline  Nash,  and  in 
parts  from  Mendelssohn's  Italian  Sym- 
phony and  Mozart's  Kleine  Nacht  Mu- 
sik.  To  laud  the  children  is  to  laud 
their  conductor-mentor,  Peter  Merem- 
blum.  By  having  these  youngsters  ap- 
pear in  sight  and  sound  , Goldwyn  has 
dorte  something  wonderful  indeed  which 
should  inspire  countless  thousands  of 
children  and  parents.  It  was  wise  not 


BY 

BRUNO  DAVID  USSHER 

to  “doctor”  the  sound  of  this  juvenile 
orchestra  or  to  let  the  little  prima  donna 
appear  the  kind  of  vocal  wonder  child 
which  in  reality  cannot  exist  because 
nature  accomplishes  only  the  near-im- 
possible. 

Consistent  Values 

q J'hese  children  play  and  sing  so  spon- 
taneously and  expressively  that  minor 
blemishes  make  their  good  points  rate 
all  the  higher.  Little  Miss  Nash  — 
whom  I heard  in  person  during  a re- 
cording — is  marvelously  gifted  in  ev- 
ery regard.  The  charmingly  serious  and 
amusing  piano  soli  of  tiny  Mary  Ruth 
in  Chopin’s  Minute  Waltz  was  treated 
in  the  same  way.  I am  sorry  that  Wal- 
ter Brennan,  as  head  of  the  school,  con- 
ducts with  obvious  lack  of  rhythm.  The 
picture  is  a real  inside  story  of  the  “ups 
and  downs”  of  an  eastside  music  school, 
run  by  an  idealistic  musician  for  the 
sake  of  the  children  rather  than  for  the 
sake  of  shekels.  The  story  permits  the 
use  of  such  incidental  music  as  one  hears 
at  a busy  establishment  of  that  kind,  a 
fact  enhancing  the  musical  value  of  the 
picture  and  giving  it  musical  consistency. 
Known  while  in  the  making  as  Music 
School,  this  Heifetz-starred  production 
is  now  titled  They  Shall  Have  Music. 
And  a good  title  it  is,  and  a great  mes- 
sage it  conveys. 

REVIEWS 

(Continued  from  page  10) 
in  an  effort  to  alibi  her  husband's  ab- 
sence, elaborates  on  his  qualifications  and 
magnify  the  superiority  of  the  products 
he  has  manufactured  from  his  formu- 
las, sells  herself  into  the  job  as  manager. 

Fine  Direction  and  Acting 

q Direction  by  Gus  Meins  from  the 
well  written  screen  play  by  Jack  Town- 
ley  and  Taylor  Caven  is  excellent 
throughout. 

Photography,  editing  and  art  direc- 
tion satisfactory. 

The  cast,  without  an  exception,  is 
perfect  for  this  production.  Those 
well-known  portrayers  of  many  char- 
acters, Henry  Kolker,  who  seems  never 
to  age,  and  Berton  Churchill,  ably  as- 
sisted by  Arthur  Hoyt,  are  splendid. 

Marie  Wilson,  as  Myrtle,  Russel 
Gleason’s  wife,  is  impressive.  And,  of 
course,  the  Gleason  family  is,  as  always, 
par-excellent. 

Suitable  for  any  theatre  showing 
clean,  high  class  and  wholesome  enter- 
tainment. Take  the  entire  family,  in- 
cluding grandpa,  grandma  and  Aunt 
Tilley,  and  give  them  a treat.  Dad  will 
love  this  one. 


★ Motion  picture  appreciation  ulti- 
mately will  be  a part  of  every  high 
school  curriculum. 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


$ Cater  the  tflidtfle  We  At 


BOARD  a train  speeding  eastward 
last  month  was  your  correspondent, 
being  carried  "away  from  it  all"  for  a 
spell,  away  from  previews  and  studios, 
arc  lights,  publicity  stunts,  and  osten- 
tation, back  into  the  real  Americana. 
Over  hundreds  of  miles  of  hot,  gleam- 
ing desert  the  train  pushed,  and  then 
through  hundreds  of  miles  of  the  verd- 
ant Mississippi  valley,  its  green  fields 
of  wheat  swept  by  graceful  billows  driv- 
en before  recurring  breezes,  its  forests 
fresh  and  shady  and  strewn  with  rich 
fern,  a beautiful  country  this  time  of 
year. 

Most  of  the  towns  present  streets 
lined  with  massive  overhanging  elms, 
and  under  them  walk  people  who  are 
the  most  typical  Americans.  They  are 
absorbed  with  truly  important  concerns, 
concerns  which,  shared  by  millions  of 
citizens  in  other  small  towns  and  cities 
of  the  country,  give  our  nation  its  great- 
ness— the  civic  improvements  of  their 
town,  the  building  of  the  new  high 
school,  business  success  of  local  mer- 
chants, the  prospects  of  sending  their 
children  to  college — all  important  mat- 
ters, though  Hollywood  would  not  con- 
sider them  so,  nor  Broadway.  Holly- 
wood thinks  the  world  revolves  about 
Hollywood.  The  little  towns  are  just 
"jumping  off  places.” 

Films  Unique  Art  Medium 

<1  This  attitude  is  reflected  in  motion 
pictures,  where  the  viewpoints  and  prob- 
lems of  these  most  typical  Americans 
are  seldom  given  any  comprehensive  or 
penetrating  representation.  Come  to 
think  of  it,  tbe  motion  picture  is  the 
only  art  medium  that  is  not  in  close 
contact  with  the  people.  Music,  poetry, 
the  dance,  drama  and  other  literary 
forms  are  interwoven  with  the  social 
fabric.  To  a large  extent  they  spring 
from  the  people  as  a whole,  and  they 
remain  a part  of  popular  expression 
through  interpretation. 

But  motion  pictures  are  made  almost 
solely  in  Hollywood  or  New  York. 
With  the  possible  exception  of  music, 
the  only  contact  the  film  industry  has 
with  the  masses  is  through  literature, 
and  even  when  a searching  piece  of  fic- 
tion is  adopted  to  the  screen,  the  result 
generally  bears  the  stamp  of  cinema- 
land. 

Their  Viewpoints  Refreshing 

Cl  Most  of  these  people  have  never  seen 
a motion  picture  star  in  person,  know 
nothing  of  guild  problems  or  industrial 
codes;  of  players  who  cannot  afford  to 
be  human,  who  must  always  be  seen 
with  the  right  people,  because,  children 
of  fortune,  their  position  depends  large- 
ly on  prestige:  of  old-time  players  who 


are  still  internationally  known  but  can- 
not get  employment.  No,  these  people 
view  Hollywood  merely  as  a rather  ro- 
mantic place  on  the  west  coast  that  con- 
tributes the  social  need  of  entertain- 
ment, as  Detroit  contributes  the  motor 
cars.  They  are  interested  in  the  screen 
and  its  players  as  a source  of  entertain- 
ment, romance,  or  artistic  stimulus,  but 
the  film  capital  and  the  players  exist  for 
them  only  in  a sort  of  mythological 
way. 

It  is  refreshing  to  be  among  them 
and  share  their  viewpoints.  One  gets 
a prespective  on  all  the  sound  and  fury 
of  filmland. 

The  Play's  the  Thing 

Cl  Over  fifteen  hundred  miles  were  trav- 
eled by  automobile  in  the  Middle  West, 
seeing  relatives  and  taking  in  the  coun- 
tryside. Keeping  my  ears  pricked  in  an 
endeavor  to  sense  the  prevalent  view- 
points on  motion  pictures  of  the  public 
at  large,  I gathered  that  the  interest  in 
players  themselves  is  not  as  great  as  it 
once  was.  Not  once  that  I recall  was  I 
asked,  ‘‘Have  you  seen  Greta  Garbo?’’, 
a question  commonly  put  on  a visit 
several  years  ago;  but  I was  asked  num- 
erous times,  "Have  you  seen  Juarez?” 
or  some  other  outstanding  film.  The 
old  fan  enthusiasm  is  dying  down. 

People  are  shopping  for  entertain- 
ment more  than  ever,  and  on  the  basis 
of  a picture’s  total  merit.  There  is  pro- 
gressively less  of  attending  film  theatres 
for  lack  of  something  else  to  do.  There 
is  plenty  else  to  do.  Sports  are  an  out- 
standing interest  of  the  average  person, 
the  dominant  recreational  interest  of 
many,  an  enthusiasm  doubtless  given 
impetus  by  the  radio.  Golf  has  become 
tremendously  popular  throughout  the 
Middle  West. 

Paradox  Impresses  Us 

C!  Dancing  is  popular  too.  In  fact,  I 
am  told  that  the  business  of  booking 
dance  orchestras  throughout  the  coun- 
try is  thriving  in  an  unprecedented  way, 
despite  general  business  conditions. 

Double  bills,  of  course,  are  every- 
where. But  no  one  likes  them.  Getting 
the  same  reactions  in  querying  people 
from  one  town  to  another,  one  is  struck 
by  the  paradox  in  the  circumstance  that 
the  double  bills  are  unpopular  and  yet 
continue  to  be  shown  month  after 
month.  A food  manufacturer  would 
not  continue  to  market  a product  the 
public  did  not  like,  nor  an  automobile 
manufacturer.  The  motion  picture  pro- 
ducer does. 

Westerns  Preferred 

IJ  One  night  I chatted  with  a local  ex- 
hibitor in  Bethany,  Missouri,  a little 


BY 

BERT  HARLEN 


town  of  less  than  five  thousand  popu- 
lation in  the  heart  of  the  farming  dis- 
trict. Farmers  form  a sizeable  part  of 
picture  audiences,  especially  on  week- 
ends— leather-skinned,  hearty,  courage- 
ous people  who  wave  to  you  as  you  jog 
along  dirt  roads  off  the  highways,  peo- 
ple who  must  work  long  hours  in  the 
beating  sun  and  bitter  cold;  with  little 
time  or  inclination  for  subtlety  of 
thought;  as  a class,  underpaid,  the  least 
advanced  culturally. 

Coming  to  town,  they  want  excite- 
ment. Westerns  are  the  favored  fare. 
Sophisticated  dramas  do  not  go.  Mane 
Antoinette  was  a bust.  The  best  busi- 
ness of  recent  months  was  done  with 
Jessie  James.  Dodge  City  was  success- 
ful too. 

Fifty  Per  Cent  Action  Wanted 

The  exhibitor,  an  intelligent  and  an- 
alytical fellow,  thinks  that  pictures  to 
be  successful  with  any  audience  should 
be  fifty  per  cent  action.  Did  he  think 
most  films  contained  that  much  action. 
I asked.  No,  was  his  reply.  Toward 
the  distributing  exchanges  he  is  not 
friendly.  Block  booking. 

That  night  was  dime  night — all  seats 
a dime.  There  was  a fairly  good  house. 
The  show  really  was  not  worth  any 
more,  however — a B picture,  with  Jack 
Holt,  and  some  shorts. 

National  Solidarity  Evinced 

<1  Though  Westerns  are  favored  by  the 
farmers,  they  manage  to  derive  sufficient 
entertainment  from  the  more  worldly 
offerings,  the  usual  tenor  of  the  shows 
being  dictated  by  the  tastes  of  the 
townspeople.  Coming  attractions  were 
Society  Lawyer  and  It's  a Wonderful 
World.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  ex- 
tent of  the  attitudes  and  ideas  held  in 
common  by  these  groups  with  different 
modes  of  living,  but  even  more  inter- 
esting— in  fact,  remarkable  and  admir- 
able-— is  the  growing  national  solidar- 
ity evinced  by  the  fact  that  the  run  of 
motion  pictures  can  entertain  both  Beth- 
any and  Broadway. 

There  are  no  more  small  towns  in 
the  old  sense,  isolated  habitats  of  the 
proverbial  hick.  Radio,  rapid  transpor- 
tation, motion  pictures,  extensive  mag- 
azine publication,  and  advanced  educa- 
tional systems  have  eliminated  them. 
A few  backward  communities  may  exist 
in  remote  mountainous  regions,  but  the 
nation  as  a whole  is  becoming  one  great 
metropolis,  with  foci  in  the  big  cities. 
Girls  on  the  streets  of  Bethany  dress 
and  behave  the  same  as  those  on  Holly- 
wood Boulevard. 

Only  mishap:  slipped  on  a slippery 
floor  in  a Kansas  City  restaurant,  and 
I still  sit  quietly. 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Studios  Interested 

in  f ocal  Robot 

By  George  T urner 

JUST  what  the  Vocoder  will  do  for 
film,  radio  and  sound  recording  is  a 
subject  which  at  the  moment  is  tantal- 
izing technicians.  The  modest  claims 
of  the  Bell  laboratories — that  it  is  not 
a finished  product,  that  it  is  the  out- 
growth of  a mere  telephonic  experiment 
— are  sagacious  enough  to  whet  studio 
curiosity  the  more.  However,  the  re- 
cent demonstrations  of  the  electrical  in- 
strument have  proved  sufficiently  amaz- 
ing to  cause  experts  to  predict  even  more 
than  the  utilization  of  trick  effects. 

Among  the  sensational  stunts  of  this 
device  that  manufactures  speech  are: 
talking  or  singing  into  a microphone 
and  causing  a string  quartet  or  a pipe 
organ  to  assimilate  the  words.  The  in- 
struments literally  sing  words  in  their 
own  individual  tones.  Similarly,  the 
hum  of  an  airplane  or  a dynamo,  or  the 
sound  of  a locomotive,  acquire  rhythmic 
speech.  Again,  the  singing  of  one  voice 
at  the  microphone  becomes  a trio — 
three-voice  harmony,  through  combin- 
ing different  pitch  channels.  The  in- 
tervals remaining  constant  are  therefore 
not  harmonically  perfect  at  all  times, 
but  even  this  defect  can  be  overcome, 
if  need  be.  Whether  worth  while,  is 
another  question. 

Remade  Speech 

CJ  The  Vocoder  is  a process  by  which 
sound  of  any  kind  is  broken  down 
through  an  analyzer,  and  reconstructed 
by  a synthesizer.  Many  variations  be- 
come possible  as  the  sound  stream  is 
re-made. 

The  application  of  the  Vocoder  in 
speech  study  comes  particularly  from  its 
ability  to  vary  each  of  the  elements  of 
speech  singly  or  together,  the  raw  mate- 
rial of  speech  consisting  of  two  sound 
streams.  The  first  stream  has  three 
properties:  pitch,  determined  by  fre- 
quency of  vibration;  intensity,  or  the 
total  sound  power  of  the  speaker,  and 
quality,  determined  by  the  relative 
amounts  of  sound  power  carried  in  fixed 
frequency  bands.  As  the  stream  pro- 
ceeds, all  three  properties  vary.  The 
second  sound  stream  has  no  pitch,  but 
has  varying  intensity  and  quality.  Only 
one  of  the  two  streams  is  active  at  one 
one  time  during  most  of  the  speech. 

The  first  sound  stream,  “the  buzz,’’ 
resembles  a muted  automobile  horn — 
a monotone,  from  which  single  note 
electrical  filters  distinguish  thirty  differ- 
ent ranges  of  overtones,  covering  the 
gamut  of  the  human  voice.  The  same 
filters  then  break  down  the  second 
stream,  “the  hiss,’’  into  thirty  ranges. 
7'he  hiss  is  the  “s”,  “f”,  “sh”,  soft  “th” 
and  “c”  and  “h"  of  ordinary  speech. 


Mixing  by  finger  controls,  the  analyz- 
ing circuit,  thus  picking  out  thirty  parts, 
permits  their  control  in  proper  amount 
before  they  reach  the  loud  speaker. 
With  the  buzzer  alone,  the  voice  pitch 
is  a flat  monotone;  the  hiss  alone  con- 
verts the  voice  to  a somewhat  faint 
whisper. 

Artificial  Inflection 

Odd  manifestations  in  vocal  expres- 
sion are  contrived  by  reducing  the  vari- 
ations of  pitch.  The  Vocoder  can  make 
an  enthusiastic  sentence  sound  emotion- 
less and  dull,  or,  vice  versa.  When  the 
swing  of  pitch  is  cut  in  half,  the  voice 
seems  flat  and  dragging;  when  the  swing 
is  twice  normal,  the  voice  becomes  bril- 
liant, and  four  times  normal  makes  it 
febrile  and  unnatural.  By  reversing  the 
controls,  high  becomes  low,  a tune  is 
heard  upside  down,  talk  takes  on  a 
Scandinavian  lilt.  An  artificial  vibrato 
can  be  injected  into  tones,  seeming  to 
be  practically  normal  at  six  waves  a 
second  and  becoming  a rapid  tremulo  at 
ten.  Running  up  and  down  the  elec- 
trical frequency  scale,  a man’s  voice  at 
the  microphone  is  soprano  at  275  cycles 
and  a sub-human  double  bass  at  sixteen 
cycles. 

From  a utility  point  of  view,  the 
Vocoder  in  its  present  state  seems  most 
likely  to  interest  animated  cartoon  pro- 
ducers, who  are  avidly  discussing  its 
possibilities.  That  it  will  effect  any 
striking  departures  in  sound  recording 
for  live  subjects  is  more  questionable, 
despite  its  astonishing  tonal  perform- 
ances. As  a means  of  overcoming  the 
limitations  of  actors  and  singers  it  may 
function  in  various  ways,  beyond  the 
mere  changing  of  vocal  pitch  as  already 
contrived  by  filters. 

Move  To  Shozv  Hozv 
Pictures  Are  Made 

HE  butterfly  must  emerge  from  the 
cocoon.  Great  oaks  from  little  acorns 
grow. 

Back  in  1924,  Mrs.  Ina  Roberts,  now 
editor  of  the  Spectator's  “Books  and 
Films"  department,  conceived  the  idea 
of  linking,  for  the  benefit  of  the  reading 
public,  films  and  the  books  from  which 
these  are  made  as  well  as  other  books 
connecting  with  them  by  subject.  The 
details  were  still  vague.  However,  she 
took  the  idea  to  the  local  film  exchanges 
of  her  town,  Cleveland,  where  she  was 
occupying  the  position  of  publicity  di- 
rector of  the  Cleveland  Public  Library. 

The  late  M.  A.  Malaney,  then  pub- 
licity man  for  Loew’s  Cleveland  The- 
atres, had  faith;  he  merely  said,  after 
listening  to  Mrs.  Roberts:  “You  and  I 
are  going  to  work  together  a lot.”  Mrs. 
Roberts  and  C.  C.  Dourdourff,  MGM 
ace  exploitation  man,  worked  out  the 


first  film  bookmark,  which  was  for 
Scaramouche.  The  Cleveland  library 
made  the  book  list  for  this,  and  dis- 
tributed the  bookmarks.  Other  film  ex- 
hibits and  bookmarks  in  other  libraries 
followed.  Gradually  the  idea,  aided  by 
the  powerful  influence  and  expert  han- 
dling of  the  Cleveland  library,  spread 
throughout  the  country.  Later  came  the 
study  guides;  the  magazine,  The  Motion 
Picture  and  the  Family,  published  for 
three  years  by  the  Hays  organization; 
Mrs.  Roberts’  own  magazine,  Books 
and  Films,  which  is  now  combined  with 
the  Spectator  as  a department;  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  research  panels  that 
opened  the  schools  to  direct  cooperation 
with  films. 

From  Idea  to  Fulfillment 

Cf  About  this  time,  after  studying  care- 
fully his  capabilities  and  character,  Mrs. 
Roberts  took  into  her  office  Frederick 
Myers,  then  very  young,  and  trained 
him  for  several  years  to  fill  her  position 
when  she  should  leave.  Since  Mrs. 
Roberts  moved  to  Los  Angeles,  early  in 
1938,  Mr.  Myers  has  filled  this  position 
and  is  now  director  of  public  relations 
for  the  Cleveland  library. 

The  foregoing  has  related  to  the  co- 
coon stage;  now  Mr.  Myers  has  con- 
ceived another  idea,  from  which  the  but- 
terfly will  issue. 

This  idea  consists  of  a plan  to  link, 
with  films,  by  means  of  an  exhaustive 
exhibit,  the  books  from  which  these  are 
made  and  the  other  books  related  to 
them  by  subject;  also  the  276  profes- 
sions involved  in  their  making. 

Mr.  Myers  says  his  idea  grew  out  of 
Barret  Riesling’s  book,  Talking  Pic- 
tures; How  They  Are  Made:  How  to 
Appreciate  Them,  in  which  Mr.  Ries- 
ling states  that  276  professions  are 
needed  to  make  one  motion  picture. 

Because  he  gained  his  idea  from  this 
book;  because  of  the  faith  shown  by  the 
late  M.  A.  Malaney  and  C.  C.  Dour- 
dourff and  the  later  faith  and  coopera- 
tion shown  by  MGM,  through  such 
men  as  Howart  Dietz,  W.  R.  Ferguson, 
Howard  Strickling  and  Barrett  Ries- 
ling, Mr.  Myers  contacted  MGM  in  re- 
gard to  his  idea.  Out  of  this  conference 
has  grown  the  plan  for  an  exhibit.  It 
will  include  books  to  be  filmed,  other 
related  books  and  books  on  the  276 
professions,  illustrated  by  still  photo- 
graphs depicting  the  parts  played  by  the 
276  professions  in  the  making  of  films. 

Making  Still  Photos 

•J  Mr.  Myers  is  now  in  Hollywood  to 
supervise  the  making  of  the  still  photo- 
graphs at  the  MGM  studios.  Upon  his 
return  to  Cleveland,  the  exhibit  will  be 
arranged  and  installed  by  A.  C.  Young, 
curator  of  exhibits  for  the  Cleveland 
Public  Library.  After  having  been 
shown  there,  the  exhibit  will  tour  the 
libraries  of  the  country.  Librarians  of 
(Continued  on  page  15) 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


BY 

INA  ROBERTS 


Sock*  and  JilinA 


Coast  Guard 

<|  This  film  deals  with  the  work  of  the 
United  States  Coast  Guard.  Did  you 
know  that  the  Coast  Guard  is  seven 
years  older  than  the  Navy?  That  it 
protects  seals  from  poachers,  supervises 
sponge  fisheries  and  wild  bird  protect- 
orates, destroys  dangerous  derelicts  in 
shipping  lanes,  guards  the  coast  against 
smugglers  and  customs  duty  evaders 
and  aids  in  time  of  war,  floods,  hurri- 
canes and  other  disasters?  That  it 
maintains  its  own  Academy,  compar- 
able to  West  Point  and  Annapolis? 
That  since  the  Coast  Guard  instituted 
its  Ice  Patrol  in  1913,  the  year  the  Ti- 
tanic sank,  not  a single  life  has  been 
lost  through  a ship's  collision  with  ice? 
That  it  carries  mail,  supplies  and  medi- 
cine to  Alaskan  ports  with  the  annual 
ice  break? 

Our  Coast  Guard,  by  Evan  J.  David 
and  Coast  Guard  to  the  Rescue,  by  Karl 
Baarslag  will  be  found  interesting  and 
instructive  in  connection  with  the  film. 

Burton  of  Arabia 

<|  Darryl  Zanuck  announces  that  Bur- 
ton of  Arabia  will  be  one  of  the  major 
pictures  on  the  20th  Century-Fox  sche- 
dule for  the  coming  year.  Sir  Richard 
Burton,  who,  by  the  way,  gave  us  the 
first  literal  translation  of  The  Arabian 
Nights,  was  a born  traveler.  In  dis- 
guise he  penetrated  into  the  forbidden 
city  of  Mecca.  His  exploits  have  been 
written  by  Viscount  Castelross. 

Stanley  and  Livingstone 

This  film  will  be  released  in  August. 
A year  and  a half  ago  the  director,  Otto 
Brower,  went  with  Mrs.  Martin  John- 
son to  Africa  to  get  genuine  shots  for 
this  film.  Brower  and  his  safari  built 
a village  which  is  an  exact  replica  of 
Ujiji,  the  place  where  Henry  Stanley 
found  the  lost  missionary,  after  one  of 
the  most  arduous  journeys  of  history. 


More  than  700  natives  worked  six 
weeks  to  construct  the  forty  - eight 
thatched  houses  and  a wild  animal 
stockade.  Brower  had  previously  ar- 
ranged with  British  government  agents 
that  this  settlement  would  be  available 
to  natives  after  the  movie  company  left 
it.  On  the  day  the  film  expedition  de- 
parted 200  natives  moved  in  with  no 
rent  to  pay.  The  population  has  since 
swelled  to  500,  which  makes  the  vil- 
lage one  of  the  ten  largest  all-native 
settlements  in  Tanganyika.  This  vil- 
lage, a replica  of  Ujiji,  has  been  named 
Browsha  after  Director  Otto  Brower. 
It  is  good  news  to  learn  that  at  last  a 
movie-made  building  is  to  be  lasting 
and  to  serve  a useful  purpose  after 
playing  its  part  in  a film. 

From  Stage  to  College 

CJ  Brenda  Joyce,  whom  the  movies  re- 
cently called  from  her  work  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  California,  has  decided  to 
study  at  night  for  two  years  in  order 
to  complete  her  course.  She  makes  her 
screen  debut  in  The  Rains  Came. 

Gilbert  and  Sullivan 

€J  The  following  books,  listed  on  a 
bookmark  issued  by  the  Cleveland  Pub- 
lic Library,  will  be  of  interest  at  this 
time: 

W.  S.  Gilbert,  His  Life  and  Letters, 
by  Dark  U Gray:  Bab  Ballads,  by  Gil- 
bert: Original  Plays  and  Savoy  Operas, 
The  Story  of  the  Mikado,  by  Gilbert 
(illustrated):  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan,  bi- 
ographies by  Lawrence  and  MacLean: 
English  Music  in  the  16th  Century,  by 
Maitland:  In  the  Garret,  by  Van  Vech- 
ten:  Arthur  Sullivan,  by  Wyndham; 
Jimmy's  Cruise  in  the  Pinafore,  by  Al- 
cott:  My  Wanderings,  by  Barnabee: 
Gilbert  and  Sullivan  and  Their  Operas, 
by  Cellier  and  Bridgeman:  The  Op- 
eras of  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  Described, 
by  Fitzgerald:  Old  Boston  Museum 
Days,  by  Ryan;  Old  Days  in  Bohemian 
London,  by  Scott. 


CURRENT  FILMS 

Andy  Hardy  Gets  Spring  Fever — Andy 

turns  playwright;  school  play.  MGM 

Bill  of  Rights  — Featurette  in  historical 
series;  John  Litel.  Crane  Wilbur  as 
King  John,  and  all-star  cast.  Warner 

Captain  Fury — Australia.  1840;  Brian 

Aherne,  Paul  Lukas.  U.A. 

Career — Play  by  Stong;  Anne  Shirley, 

Edward  Ellis;  released  9-15.  RKO 

Goodbye,  Mr.  Chips — Novel  by  Hilton; 
made  in  England;  Robert  Donat,  Greer 


Garson;  released  6-2;  rev.  Spec.  5-27.  MGM 
Good  Girls  Go  to  Paris — Melvyn  Doug- 
las. Joan  Blondell,  Walter  Connolly.  Col. 

Of  Human  Bondage — Reissue;  Leslie 

Howard,  Bette  Davis.  RKO 

On  Borrowed  Time — Novel  by  Edward 
Lawrence  Katkin;  Frank  Morgan;  Sir 
Cedric  Hardwicke:  rev.  Spec.  7-8.  MGM 

Parents  on  Trial — Jean  Parker,  Johnny 

Downs,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.  Col. 


Second  Fiddle — Formerly  When  Winter 
Comes-,  based  on  Heart  Interest-,  play 
by  George  Bradshaw:  songs  by  Irving 
Berlin:  Sonja  Henie,  Rudy  Vallee,  Don 
Ameche;  released  7-14:  rev.  Spec. 

7-8.  20th-Fox 

Sons  of  Liberty — Short;  life  of  Haym 

Salomon.  Warner 

Stronger  Than  Desire — Novel  by  W.  E. 
Woodward:  Robert  Montgomery,  Vir- 
ginia Bruce;  rev.  Spec.  7-8.  MGM 

They  All  Come  Out — Government  aid 

to  released  prisoners.  MGM 

The  Mikado — Opera  by  Gilbert  and  Sul- 
livan; Kenny  Baker.  Univ. 

Way  Down  South  — Mississippi  River, 

1 840;  Bob  Breen.  RKO 

COMING  FILMS 

Bachelor  Mother — Formerly  Little  Moth- 
er: play  by  Felix  Jackson;  Ginger 

Rogers:  released  8-5;  rev.  Spec.  7-8.  RKO 

Bad  .Company — Jackie  Cooper,  Freddie 

Bartholomew.  Univ. 

Beau  Geste — Novel  by  Wren;  Gary  Coop- 
er; released  9-1.  Para. 

Chicken  Wagon  Family — Novel  by  Barry 

Benefield;  released  8-11.  20th-Fox 

Coast  Guard — Ralph  Bellamy,  Randolph 

Scott;  released  8-5.  Col. 

Double-Dyed  Deceiver  — Based  on  7 he 

Llano  Kid,  by  O.  Henry:  released  1 1-3.  Para. 
Dust  Be  My  Destiny — Novel  by  Jerome 

Odium:  John  Garfield,  Pat  O’Brien.  Warner 
Each  Dawn  I Die — Novel  by  Jerome 
Odium;  James  Cagney,  Ann  Sheri- 
dan; released  8-6.  Warner 

Flying  Cadets  — Freddie  Bartholomew, 

Jackie  Cooper.  Univ. 

Four  Feathers — Novel  by  A.  E.  W.  Ma- 
son; adapted  by  R.  C.  Sherriff ; tech- 
nicolor; filmed  in  England  and  Sudan; 
released  8-5.  U.A. 

Frontier  Marshall — Wyatt  Earp:  Tomb- 
stone, Arizona:  silver  mining  camp: 

Randolph  Scott.  20th-Fox 

Geronimo — Apaches  in  Southwest;  Pres- 
ton Foster.  Ellen  Drew:  released  11-10.  Para. 
Heaven  With  a Barbed  Wire  Fence — By 
author  of  Man  to  Remember : cross- 
country hiking.  20th-Fox 

Hobby  Family — Assorted  hobbies:  Irene 

Rich,  Henry  O'Neill;  released  August.  Warner 
In  Old  California  — Slave  smuggling; 

1 840;  Richard  Arlen.  Andy  Devine.  Univ. 
Jamaica  Inn  — Novel  by  Daphne  Du 
Maurier;  Charles  Laughton;  released 
10-13.  Para. 

Ladu  and  the  Knight — Formerly  Eliza- 
beth and  Essex:  formerly  Knight  and 
the  Lady:  based  on  play  Elizabeth. 

leased  9-15.  20th-Fox 


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PAGE  FOURTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Man  in  the  Iron  Mask — Louis  Hayward. 

Joan  Bennett.  Doris  Kenyon  as  Queen 
Anne;  released  July.  U.A. 

Memory  ot  Love — Novel  by  Bessie  Breuer; 

Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.:  released  9-4.  RKO 
No  Place  to  Go — Based  on  Old  Man 

Minick:  play  by  Edna  Ferber.  Warner 

Nurse  Edith  Cavell — Anna  Neagle,  Edna 
May  Oliver,  May  Robson,  H.  B.  War- 
ner. Fritz  Leiber,  Zasu  Pitts.  RKO 

Old  Grad — Anita  Louise,  Charley  Grape- 

win;  story  by  Matt  Gayln.  Univ. 

Our  Leading  Citizen — Bob  Burns,  Susan 

Hayward;  released  8-11.  Para. 

The  Old  Maid — Novel  by  Edith  Whar- 
ton; play  by  Zoe  Akins;  Bette  Davis. 
Miriam  Hopkins.  George  Brent.  Warner 

Pinocchio — Juvenile  by  C.  Collodi;  fea- 
ture cartoon;  Walt  Disney;  Christmas 
release.  RKO 

Real  Glory — Philippines:  Gary  Cooper, 

Andrea  Leeds.  David  Niven.  U.A. 

Roll.  Wagons.  Roll — Tex  Ritter.  Mono. 

Stanley  and  Livingstone  — Spencer 

Tracy;  released  8-18.  20th-Fox 

Stunt  Pilot  — Tailspin  Tommy;  rev. 

Spec.  7-8.  Mono. 

Susannah  of  the  Mounties — Juvenile  by 
Muriel  Denison;  Shirley  Temple;  re- 
leased 6-23.  20th-Fox 

The  Women — Play  by  Clare  Booth;  Nor- 
ma Shearer,  Joan  Crawford,  Rosalind 
Russell.  MGM 

They  Shall  Have  Music — Formerly  Music 

School ; Jascha  Heifetz.  U.A. 

What  a Life — Play  by  Clifford  Gold- 
smith; high  school  age;  Jackie  Coop- 
er, Betty  Field,  John  Howard;  released 
10-6.  Para. 

The  Wizard  of  Oz — Juvenile  by  Frank 
Baum;  Judy  Garland,  Mickey  Rooney; 

August  release.  MGM 

Winter  Carnival — Sports:  Ann  Sheridan, 

Richard  Carlson;  released  July  29.  U.A. 

A Woman  Is  the  Judge — Otto  Kruger, 

Rochelle  Hudson.  Col. 

IN  PRODUCTION 

Alleghany  Frontier  — Formerly  Pennsyl- 
vania Uprising:  based  on  The  First 

Rebel,  by  Neil  Swanson:  ten  years 

before  Battle  of  Lexington;  John 
Wayne.  RKO 

All  This  and  Heaven  Too — Novel  by 
Balakaika  — Play  by  Eric  Maschwitz; 

Nelson  Eddy,  Ilona  Massey.  MGM 

Bright  Victory — Texas  oil  fields;  Freddie 

Bartholomew,  Jackie  Cooper.  Univ. 

Career  Man — Script  by  James  Hilton: 

John  Garfield.  Ann  Sheridan.  Warner 

Cat  and  the  Canary — Bob  Hope,  Paulette 

Goddard:  released  9-8.  Para. 

Crump  At  Oxford — Laurel  and  Hardy.  U.A. 

Dancing  Co-ed  — Fred  Astaire.  Eleanor 

Powell.  MGM 

Day  At  the  Circus — Marx  Brothers.  MGM 

Disputed  Passage — Novel  by  Lloyd  Doug- 
las; Dorothy  Lamour,  Akim  Tamiroff ; 
autumn  release;  released  10-27.  Para. 

Drums  Along  the  Mohawk — Novel  by 
Walter  Edmonds;  Henry  Fonda,  Claud- 
ette Colbert:  released  1 1-24.  20th-Fox 

First  Love — Deanna  Durbin,  Spring  By- 

ington,  Eugene  Pallette.  Univ. 

Five  Little  Peppers  and  How  They  Grew 
— Juvenile  story  by  Margaret  Sidney 
Lothrop.  Coi 

Gone  W iih  the  W.nd — Novel  by  Mar- 
garet M.tchell:  Leslie  Howard.  Vivien 
Leigh,  Clark  Gable,  Olivia  de  Havil- 
Knd.  MGM 

Here  I Am  a Stranger — McCall  magazine 
story  by  Gordon  Hillman;  father  and 
son;  college;  released  9-29.  20tr-Fox 

Hollywood  Cavalcade  — Alice  Faye;  re- 

leased  8-19,  ' 20th-Fox 

Housekeeper’s  Daughter — Novel  by  Don- 
ald Henderson  Clark.  U.A 


Hunchback  of  Notre  Dame — Novel  by 
Hugo:  Charles  Laughton,  Maureen 

O’Hara,  Walter  Hampden.  Sir  Cecil 
Hardwicke,  Edmond  O'Brien,  Minna 
Gombell.  RKO 

Intermezzo — Original  screen  play  by  John 

Van  Duten.  U.A. 

Irish  Luck — Frankie  Darro;  Sheila  Darcy, 

Dick  Purcell.  Mono. 

Light  That  Failed — Novel  by  Kipling; 

Ronald  Colman,  Muriel  Angelus.  Ida 
Lupino.  Para. 

Mr.  Smith  Goes  to  Washington — Con- 
tinues adventures  of  Mr.  Deeds:  Jean 
Arthur,  James  Stewart,  Claude  Rains. 

Guy  Kibbee,  Eugene  Pallete;  released 


September.  Col. 

Ninotschka — Greta  Garbo.  MGM 

Northwest  Passage  — Novel  by  Kenneth 
Roberts:  Spencer  Tracy,  Wallace  Beery, 

Robert  Taylor.  MGM 

Our  Leading  Citizen — Bob  Burns,  Susan 

Hayward;  released  8-11.  Para. 

Our  Neighbors  the  Carters — Frank  Crav- 
en, Genevieve  Tobin,  Edmund  Lowe.  Para. 

Prison  Surgeon — Walter  Connolly.  Col. 

Rebecca — Novel  by  Daphne  Du  Maurier; 

production  begins  June.  U.A. 

Ruler  of  the  Seas — Epic  of  sail  vs.  steam; 

released  11-24.  Para. 

Seventeen — Novel  by  Tarkington;  Jackie 

Cooper,  Betty  Field,  Otto  Kruger.  Para. 

Star-Maker — Semi-biography  of  Gus  Ed- 
wards; released  8-25.  Para. 

The  Rains  Came — Novel  by  Louis  Brom- 

field  ; released  10-27.  20th-Fox 

Thunder  Afloat — Marine  chasers  in  World 

War;  Wallace  Beery,  Chester  Morris.  MGM 

20.000  Years  In  Sing  Sing — Story  by 

Warden  Lawes:  John  Garfield.  Warner 


We  Are  Not  Alone — Novel  by  Hilton.  Warner 

FUTURE  FILMS 

Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois — Play  by  Robert 

Sherwood:  Raymond  Massey.  RKO 

A Call  on  the  President — Story  by  Da- 
mon Runyon;  Lewis  Stone.  MGM 

American  School  Teacher — Bob  Burns; 

production  to  start  in  June.  RKO 

And  It  All  Came  True — Novel  by  Brom- 

field:  James  Stewart.  Ann  Sheridan.  Warner 
Fighting  69th — Pat  O'Brien  as  Father 

Duffy.  Warner 

Forgive  Us  Our  Trespasses — Novel  by 
Lloyd  Douglas;  John  Garfield,  Fay 
Bainter.  Warner 

House  Across  the  Bay — Play  by  Myles 

Connolly;  Joan  Bennett.  U.A. 


Invisible  Stripes — Story  by  Warden  Lawes 
and  Jonathan  Finn;  stigma  attached  to 
released  prisoners.  Warner 

Life  and  Melodies  of  Victor  Herbert.  Para. 
Stranger  at  Home — Life  of  Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen.  U.A. 

Life  of  Dr.  Ehrlich — Edward  G.  Robin- 
son. Warner 

A Modern  Cinderella — Novel  by  James 

M.  Cane;  Charles  Boyer,  Irene  Dunne.  Univ. 
Rebecca — Novel  by  Daphne  Du  Maurier.  U.A. 
Sea  Hawk — Novel  by  Sabatini;  Errol 
Flynn,  Geraldine  Fitzgerald,  Basil  Rath- 
bone.  Warner 

Spirit  of  Knute  Rockne — John  Payne.  Warner 
Tombstone  — Arizona  Frontier;  Wyatt 
Earp;  Errol  Flynn,  Olivia  dc  Havil- 
land.  Warner 

Vigil  in  the  Night — Novel  by  A.  J. 

Cronin.  RKO 

EXHIBIT  PLAN  SUCCESSFUL 

(Continued  from  page  13) 
three  states  who  have  visited  Cleveland 
since  the  inception  of  the  plan,  have 
asked  that  it  be  sent  to  their  libraries. 

This,  then,  is  the  story  of  the  growth 
of  an  idea;  it  is  also  a story  of  how 
faith  ultimately  comes  into  its  own, 
for  it  was  the  faith  and  help  given  to 
the  growing  idea,  even  when  untried, 
vague  and  nebulous,  that  resulted  in  the 
MGM  connection  with  this  new  im- 
petus given  to  book-film  cooperation. 


HOLLYWOOD  DOG 
TRAINING  SCHOOL 

Carl  Spitz,  Owner 
Fritz  Bache,  Manager 


Phone  12350  Riverside  Drive 

North  Holly.  1262  No.  Hollywood,  Calif. 


WE  IV  EVER  CLOSE 


ANCHORED  OFt 

SANTA  MQNfCA 


RACING  SERVICE  DESCRIPTION 
All  Tracks  — 9 a.m.  Daily 
CALIENTE  SUNDAY 
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No  Insurance  — No  Commission 


Cocktail  Lounge  — Popular  Prices 
Bonded  Liquor  Exclusively 


Open  24  Hours  a Day  RAIN  or  SHINE 


Only  10  minutes  from  Hollywood,  then  a comfortable  12-minute 
boat  ride  to  the  REX.  Continuous  water  taxi  service  To  and  From 
ship,  25c  round  trip  from  Santa  Monica  pier  at  foot  of  Colorado 
Street,  Santa  Monica.  Look  for  the  red  “X”  sign.  Park  on  pier. 

FIVE-MINUTE  WATER  TAXI  SERVICE 
25c  ROUND  TRIP  — PARK  ON  PIER 

Cuisine  by  Henri  Supervision  “Hy”  Hoff  mart  ' yli 


Anchored  in  Calm  Ulaters  off  SHNTR  IDONICR 


JULY  22,  1939 


PAGE  FIFTEEN 


IS 

1 

SIS 

A PLEA  AND  A PLAY 

By 

WELFORD  BEATON 

Tells  why  too  much  dialogue  is  box- 
office  poison,  and  demonstrates  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  can  be  reduced. 

An  invaluable  little  volume  for  all 
students  of  the  screen. 


PRICE: 

ONE  DOLLAR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 
6513  Hollywood  Boulevard 
Hollywood,  California 


20  CENTS 


SPECTATOR 

Every  Other  Week  Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 

Fourteenth  Year  Los  Angeles,  California,  December  9,  1939  Vol.  14 — No.  17 


Exhibitors  Should  Note  Names  of 
Those  Who  Make  Box-Office  Films 

Without  Picture  Brains  Behind 
Them  Stars  Soon  Would  Lose  Out 

Once  More  We  Hear  The  Old  Plaint 
That  the  Public  Wants  New  Faces 

Destry  Rides  Again  ★ Four  Wives  ★ The  Night  of  Nights 

REVIEWED:  The  Great  Victor  Herbert  ★ Joe  and  Ethel  Turp  Call  On  the  President 

(Page  6)  The  Cisco  Kid  and  the  Lady  A Escape  to  Paradise 

Private  Detective  ★ The  Big  Guy 


A WORD  WITH  EXHIBITORS 

HEN  block  booking  is  abolished  and  production 
and  exhibition  divorced,  the  exhibitor  is  going  to 
be  the  biggest  man  in  filmdom.  He  will  be  in  a posi- 
tion to  buy  only  the  pictures  he  feels  will  please  his 
patrons,  will  buy  them  only  after  they  are  made,  and 
to  get  those  he  wants  he  no  Icnqer  will  have  to  buy 
others  he  does  not  want  and  which  he  knows  will  not 
pay  their  way  when  shown  in  his  theatre. 

The  effect  of  the  new  order  of  things  will  be  to  put 
an  end  to  the  mass  making  of  pictures  which  are  sold 
before  they  are  made.  Each  will  be  an  individual  pro- 
duction which  will  be  sold  on  its  own  merits,  and  the 
people  who  will  be  the  most  successful  in  meeting  the 
market  requirements  are  the  present  associate  pro- 
ducers and  producer-directors.  No  longer  will  an  ex- 
hibitor buy  a picture  solely  because  it  is  made  by 
Metro  or  Fox.  He  can  buy  in  an  open  market,  and  in 
making  his  selections  he  will  be  influenced  only  by 
their  entertainment  qualities  and  not  by  the  trade- 
marks they  bare. 

Should  Place  Reliance  on  Names 

But  the  exhibitor  will  face  one  difficulty  — that  of 
being  unable  to  see  every  picture  made  before  de- 
termining which  ones  he  wishes  to  show  in  his  house. 
Eventually,  in  making  his  selections  he  will  have  to 
depend  to  a large  extent  on  names  of  individual  pro- 
ducers. For  instance,  if  he  buys  a picture  made  by 
David  Selznick  — a picture  he  sees  before  he  buys  it 
and  was  influenced  in  purchasing  solely  by  the  pic- 
ture's merits  and  without  regard  for  the  name  of  the 
maker  — and  if  such  picture  makes  money  for  him, 
he  may  feel  reasonably  safe  in  buying  another  Selz- 
nick production  sight-unseen,  and  in  keeping  on  buy- 
ing them  as  long  as  they  prove  profitable  attractions 
for  his  house. 

It  seems  to  me  it  would  be  a wise  thing  for  exhibit- 
ors to  begin  now  to  note  the  names  of  those  who  make 
the  pictures  at  present  showing  and  those  which  will 
be  shown  before  the  new  order  is  ushered  in.  When 
a picture  does  a big  business  for  an  exhibitor  he 
should  make  a record  of  the  names  of  the  individual 
producer,  the  director,  the  writer.  Perhaps  he  at- 
tributes the  success  of  the  picture  to  the  popularity 
of  its  star  or  stars,  but  he  must  take  into  account  that 
if  its  producer,  director  and  writer  had  fallen  down 
on  their  jobs,  the  star  names  in  themselves  would  not 
prove  strong  enough  to  account  for  the  profitable 
showing. 


No  player  makes  himself  a star.  Back  of  him  must 
be  picture  brains.  A company  trademark  cannot 
make  a star.  Metro's  lion  has  no  picture  brains.  His 
reputation  was  made  by  people  on  the  studio  pay- 
roll, by  producers,  directors,  writers,  technicians  who 
provide  the  player  with  the  vehicles  which  carry  him 
to  stardom  and  keep  him  there.  The  names  of  these 
people  are  the  ones  exhibitors  should  remember. 
They,  not  the  stars,  can  make  or  break  an  exhibitor. 

In  the  d ays  when  traveling  companies  provided  the 
dramatic  entertainment  in  cities  which  get  it  now  only 
in  motion  pictures,  the  fact  that  it  was  a Frohman 
production  or  that  the  play  was  by  Booth  Tarkington 
was  sufficient  to  bring  money  to  the  box-office,  when 
no  famous  star  name  headed  the  cast.  Film  theatre 
owners  can  derive  as  much  assurance  from  the  names 
of  Hollywood  producers,  directors  and  writers  if  they 
acquaint  themselves  with  the  names  on  the  credit 
lists  of  the  pictures  which  make  money  for  them. 

Exhibitors  Should  Note  the  Names 

Exhibitors,  should  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  no 
player  ever  made  himself  or  herself  a star,  nor  has 
his  or  her  box-office  pull  been  retained  solely  by  the 
star.  Only  good  pictures  make  stars  and  only  more 
good  pictures  sustain  stardom.  For  instance,  Gary 
Cooper's  name  will  draw  paying  audiences  to  film 
theatres,  but  if  he  appeared  in  two  poor  pictures  in  a 
row,  he  no  longer  would  be  the  box-office  magnet 
he  is  now.  Gary  is  a great  star,  first,  because  he 
knows  nothing  about  acting;  and,  secondly,  because 
he  has  a personality  of  practically  universal  appeal. 
He  has  maintained  his  star  status  because  he  has  been 
fortunate  in  being  starred  in  pictures  made  by  pro- 
ducers intelligent  enough  to  realize  both  his  possibili- 
ties and  his  limitations,  and  to  employ  writers  and 
directors  who  can  develope  his  possibilities  and  keep 
him  within  his  limits. 

It  is  important,  therefore,  that  an  exhibitor  who 
makes  money  with  a Cooper  picture  or  a picture  with 
any  other  star,  should  keep  a record  of  the  names 
of  the  individual  producer,  the  writer  and  the  director, 
and  if  the  three  names  appear  in  the  list  of  credits 
of  another  picture,  he  may  be  sure  it  will  please  his 
patrons  even  though  there  be  no  outstanding  star 
names  in  the  cast.  Each  of  the  three  names  will  con- 
vey a certain  amount  of  assurance  even  when  appear- 
ing with  two  others  with  which  the  exhibitor  is  not 
familiar.  But  if  the  exhibitor  keeps  a carefully  com- 
posed list  of  the  producers,  directors  and  writers 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR,  published  bi-weekly  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spectator  Co.,  6513  Hollywood  Blvd.;  phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price,  $5  the  year;  two 
years,  $8'  foreign,  $6.  Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter,  September  23.  1938,  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1879. 

PAGE  TWO  HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


whose  names  are  connected  with  successful  pictures 
he  has  shown,  he  will  find  himself  in  a position  to  buy 
his  attractions  with  more  assurance  of  box-office  suc- 
cess fhan  if  he  is  governed  in  his  selections  only  by 
the  names  of  the  stars  who  head  the  casts. 

When  the  exhibitor  no  longer  is  forced  to  buy  his 
pictures  blindly,  the  welfare  of  the  entire  film  industry 
will  be  in  his  hands.  He  should  start  now  to  prepare 
himself  to  use  his  power  intelligently. 

* * * 


CERTAINLY  ACTIVE  TREE  BUILDER 
JCCORDING  to  Hedda  Hopper,  as  recorded  in 
**  her  daily  column,  Nick  Kaltenstadler,  chief  nursery- 
man for  20th  Century-Fox  studio,  "in  his  twenty-four 
years  career  has  built  more  than  one  million  trees  for 
use  in  the  movies."  That  means  that  Nick,  working 
Sunday,  holidays,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  days  during 
the  nearly  guarter-century,  has  managed  to  turn 
out  each  day  133  trees  and  part  of  another  one.  If 
the  Administration  at  Washington  is  sincere  in  its 
effort  to  cut  down  the  expense  of  running  the  country, 
it  would  fire  all  the  employees  in  the  reforestration 
division  and  hire  Nick  to  do  the  job  alone.  But  I think 
he  should  be  allowed  to  take  time  out  on  an  occasion- 
al Sunday  and  certainly  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 


DIRECTORS  SHOULD  BE  MORE  CAREFUL 
MAJORITY  of  pictures  make  obvious  the  careless- 
ness with  which  they  are  shot.  To  illustrate,  take 
these  scenes  from  "Day-Time  Wife,"  a recent  Century 
production  directed  by  Gregory  Ratoff:  Eight  or 

ten  people  are  grouped  on  the  floor  of  a room  in  a 
home  which  reflects  wealth  and  culture.  Conversa- 
tion is  general.  Two  of  the  people  detach  themselves 
from  the  group,  move  less  than  a dozen  steps  away, 
indulge  in  intimate  conversation  the  others  in  the 
room  should  not  hear,  yet  the  two  speak  loudly  enough 
to  be  heard  all  over  the  room,  and  not  a sound  of 
another  voice  is  heard.  It  is  as  if  the  remainder  of  the 
group  had  been  stricken  dumb  when  the  two  stepped 
to  one  side.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  the  blunder  was 
committed.  Ratoff  directed  the  long  shot  showing 
the  group  as  a whole  and  let  us  hear  the  general  chat- 
ter. Later,  perhaps  the  next  day  or  the  next  week, 
the  director  shot  a close-up  of  the  two,  and  overlook- 
ed entirely  its  relation  to  what  had  preceded  it. 

If  the  close  shot  had  been  made  intelligently  and 
with  regard  for  its  place  in  the  seguence  as  a whole, 
the  two  would  have  spoken  in  tones  too  low  to  be 
heard  by  those  who  should  not  hear  what  was  being 
said,  and  as  background  for  the  scene  there  would 
have  been  the  continued  chatter  of  those  still  group- 
ed so  near  the  two  in  the  intimate  scene.  The  fault  is 
a freguent  one.  It  is  a rare  picture  in  which  you  do 
not  see  it.  A sister-idiocy  is  that  which  shows  only  one 
couple  talking  on  a crowded  dance  floor,  the  rest 
silent,  stoney-faced,  expressing  animation  only  with 
their  feet,  while  the  two  principals  talk  loudly,  the 
lack  of  the  mob's  reaction  to  what  it  cannot  help 
hearing  proving  that  those  who  compose  it  are  stoney- 


faced  because  they  are  stone-deaf. 

Most  directors  seem  to  overlook  the  important  fact 
that  it  is  the  picture  as  a whole  the  public  sees,  not 
a succession  of  unrelated  scenes.  When  at  a fashion- 
able function  two  people  are  shot  in  a close-up,  di- 
rectors should  not  give  us  the  impression  all  the  rest 
of  the  guests  were  told  to  shut  up. 

* * * 

F.  HUGH  HERBERT  WRITES  A BOOK 

0 NE  of  my  oldest  Hollywood  friendships  has  been 
'“'that  with  F.  Hugh  Herbert,  writer  of  screen  plays 
and  books.  We  never  agree  on  any  topic  we  discuss, 
and  our  years  of  friendship  have  been  seasoned  with 
an  unending  series  of  most  entertaining  quarrels.  I 
know  he  is  nutty  and  he  thinks  I am.  It  is  with  extreme 
reluctance,  therefore,  and  a degree  of  chagrin,  that 
I am  compelled  to  admit  that  his  latest  book,  "The 
Revolt  of  Henry"  (G.  P.  Putman's  Sons,  N.  Y.) , is  most 
entertaining  reading.  It  is  an  intimate  story  of  a 
mismated  married  couple,  a wife  with  a nitwit  per- 
sonality, a husband  with  a murder  complex  he  does 
not  use.  It  is  amusing,  human,  moves  along  briskly. 
It  should  be  read  by  any  producers  in  the  market  for 
a domestic  comedy. 

* * * 

SORRY,  BUT  WE  DIFFER  WITH  HEDDA 
DECENTLY  in  her  syndicated  column  my  good  friend, 
**'  Hedda  Hopper,  takes  motion  picture  producers  to 
task  for  their  failure  to  develope  talent  to  still  the 
clamor  of  the  public  for  new  faces  on  the  screen, 
and  proceeds  to  tell  the  producers  what  she  would 
do  if  it  were  up  to  her  to  set  things  right.  She  would 
have  all  the  studios  join  in  the  establishment  and 
maintenance  of  a little  theatre  in  which  aspirants  for 
screen  honors  could  "work  steadily  and  develope 
craftsmanship." 

Hedda's  idea  would  be  an  excellent  one  if  Holly- 
wood were  going  into  the  business  of  producing  plays 
for  Broadway  theatres,  but  as  Hollywood's  business  is 
one  of  making  motion  pictures,  the  cure  she  suggests 
would  make  the  patient  sicker  than  it  is  now.  The 
illusion  that  the  screen  went  stage  when  it  went  talkie 
is  responsible,  directly  and  indirectly,  for  every  ill 
the  film  industry  now  is  suffering.  A course  in  stage 
acting  will  shorten  the  career  of  any  newcomer  to  the 
screen.  The  leading  film  box-office  players  are  now 
and  always  will  be  those  who  have  had  no  stage  experi- 
ence and  those  who  have  forgotten  what  they  learned 
on  the  stage. 

Get  Back  to  First  Principle 

CJ  I agree,  however,  w ith  Hedda  that  something  radi- 
cal should  be  done  to  buck  up  film  box-offices.  It  can 
be  done  by  a return  to  screen  fundamentals — the 
recognition  of  the  camera  as  the  story-telling  medium, 
which  automatically  would  reduce  the  excessive  talk- 
ing now  poisoning  the  box-office.  If- an  institution  is 
to  be  established  for  the  teaching  of  screen  technique, 
it  should  be  done  for  prospective  writers  who  never 
have  seen  a stage  play  and  from  the  first  should  be 


DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  THREE 


taught  to  write  their  stories  in  pictures,  not  in  dia- 
logue. 

Writing  stories  to  fit  stars  is  another  evil  which  has 
a distressing  effect  on  film  box-offices.  Hollywood 
now  proceeds  upon  the  assumption  that  the  star  is 
more  important  than  the  story.  It  would  take  a long 
time  to  get  the  same  idea  out  of  the  heads  of  those 
who  pay  to  see  screen  entertainment,  but  the  film 
industry  has  a lot  of  time  left  in  which  to  make  pic- 
tures, and  it  could  be  done.  When  writing  a screen 
story,  the  story  should  be  the  only  idea  in  the  writer's 
head;  and  in  casting  it,  the  suitability  of  players  for 
the  various  parts  should  be  the  only  idea  in  the  pro- 
ducer's head.  Never  should  he  distort  a well  written 
characterization  to  fit  the  individuality  of  a star. 
There  are  available  in  Hollywood  plenty  of  people  to 
fit  any  part  a writer  can  create. 

Public's  Capacity  for  Friendship 

CJ  And  another  point  upon  which  I differ  with  my 
friend  Hedda,  is  that  old,  bewhiskered  plaint  that  the 
public  constantly  is  clamoring  for  new  faces.  Nothing 
could  be  more  absurd.  It  is  contrary  to  all  human 
instincts  Not  until  v/e  w:sh  to  see  only  strangers 
around  our  tables  when  we  are  giving  dinner  parties, 
will  we  wish  to  see  only  strangers  on  the  screens  of 
the  picture  houses  we  patronize.  The  greatest  divi- 
dends life  pays  are  the  agreeable  human  contacts  we 
make,  and  the  richest  man  is  he  who  sees  friendly 
faces  every  way  he  looks. 

The  trouble  with  Hollywood  is  that  it  tries  to  con- 
centrate our  friendship  on  a small  number  of  stars. 
Our  appetite  for  friendship  is  greater  than  the  supply 
of  stars  given  us  to  appease  it,  and  our  capacity  for 
retaining  it  is  greater  than  the  producers  realize. 
Louella  Parsons  writes  that  every  time  on  her  personal 
appearance  tour  she  mentions  an  oldtime  star,  his  or 
her  name  is  greeted  with  a storm  of  applause.  There 
are  scores  of  old  faces  the  public  would  welcome, 
and  scores  among  newcomers  which  would  be  wel- 
comed when  they  had  appeared  often  enough  to  form 
friendships.  Casting  parts  solely  with  regard  for  the 
specifications  of  the  writers,  and  distorting  none  to 
fit  a certain  player,  soon  would  give  the  film  box- 
office  the  upswing  it  needs  so  badly. 

* * * 

DOGS  AS  PICTURE  ASSETS 

MOST  homes  have  dogs  in  them.  As  I write  at  the 
moment,  my  spaniel  is  curled  in  an  easy  chair  not 
far  from  mine.  He  contributes  greatly  to  the  domes- 
tic atmosphere  of  the  room,  gives  it  a touch  a human 
would  not  give.  If  it  were  a motion  picture  scene, 
the  effect  of  his  presence  would  be  the  same,  would 
strike  a responsive  chord  in  the  emotions  of  fhe  aud- 
ience, for  those  who  love  dogs  greatly  outnumber 
those  who  do  not.  Yet  it  is  seldom  we  see  dogs  on 
the  screen  solely  to  dress  sets,  dogs  which  enter  or 
leave  a scene  at  will,  which  behave  on  the  screen  as 
they  do  in  your  home  and  mine.  Ask  a producer  abou+ 
it  and  he  will  tell  you  dogs  are  nuisances  when  scenes 
are  being  shot.  That  is  a poor  excuse.  Having  to  do 


anything  is  more  or  less  a nuisance.  The  present  con- 
dition of  film  box-offices  would  suggest  the  wisdom  of 
overcoming  any  nuisance  which  could  be  transformed 
info  something  to  add  to  a picture's  drawing  power. 
And  the  greater  use  of  dogs  in  dressing  sets  would 
achieve  that  end. 

* * * 

STAR  MATERIAL  BEING  OVERLOOKED 

WHILE  viewing  the  performance  of  Edna  Mae  Oliver 
''  in  "Drums  Along  the  Mohawk,"  I thought  how 
easily  she  could  have  become  one  of  today's  leading 
box-office  stars  if  any  one  of  our  big  producers  had 
had  brains  enough,  six  or  seven  years  ago  when  she 
first  came  to  the  screen,  to  realize  her  potentialities 
and  groom  her  for  stardom.  At  that  time  the  Spec- 
tator urged  her  claim  to  recognition  as  a possible 
star.  One  of  the  factors  contributing  to  the  present 
box-office  slump  is  the  ridiculous  contention  of  pro- 
ducers thaf  the  public  demands  only  young  and  beau- 
tiful feminine  sfars.  The  public  demands  an  oppor- 
tunity to  laugh,  and  anyone  who  can  cause  it  to  sprin- 
kle laughter  throughout  the  showing  of  a feature  pic- 
ture, always  will  pull  people  into  film  theatres.  Neither 
youth  nor  age  has  box-office  value  on  its  own  account; 
nor  will  the  perfection  in  acting  technique  give  a 
player  prominence  on  the  screen  in  the  same  measure 
as  it  will  bring  him  honors  as  a stage  actor.  Miss 
Oliver  came  to  pictures  from  the  stage,  bringing  with 
her  that  inner  something  the  stage  could  not  use,  but 
which  could  have  made  her  an  outstanding  screen 
star.  And  there  are  others  like  her,  people  who  play 
even  smaller  parts  in  pictures  because  producers  are 
not  equipped  mentally  to  appreciate  their  possi- 
bilities. 

* * * 

COMPREHENSIVE  HISTORY  OF  FILMS 

/1UITE  an  extraordinary  book  is  "The  Rise  of  the 
V American  Film,"  by  Lewis  Jacobs  (Harcourt,  Brace 
and  Company,  $4.50).  It  is  a mammoth  work  (585  type 
pages,  48  pages  of  illustrations)  and  has  a wealth  of 
informafion  never  before  assembled  between  covers. 
It  fades  in  on  1896 — and  fades  out  on  1939.  Its  scope 
is  set  forth  tersely  on  the  jacket: 

"This  is  the  first  comprehensive  and  critical  history 
of  fhe  American  movie  as  a commodity,  as  an  art,  and 
as  a social  agency.  It  is  distinguished  by  an  original 
approach  and  unusual  form.  The  author  traces  the 
film  from  ifs  commercial  beginnings  in  1896  to  the 
present  time,  investigating  and  evaluating  it  as  an  in- 
dustry, as  an  artistic  medium,  and  as  a social  force. 
The  fi  nancial  structures  of  American  film  commerce 
are  charted;  the  discoveries  and  contributions  signifi- 
cant to  the  growth  of  film  technique  are  analyzed;  the 
effect  of  the  changing  times  upon  the  content  of 
American  movies  and  the  movie's  content  upon  the 
changing  times,  are  revealed  for  the  first  time  in  an 
examination  of  hundreds  of  films  since  the  turn  of  the 
century.  The  book  stresses  the  inter-relationship  and 
contributions  of  each  of  these  three  major  factors 
which  are  responsible  for  the  American  motion  pic- 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


ture's  phenomenal  rise:  the  business  man,  the  scien- 
tist, the  artist." 

The  only  quarrel  I have  with  the  above  statements 
is  that  the  book  is  not  a "critical  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can movie  ...  as  an  art."  It  accepts  the  talking  pic- 
ture as  the  ultimate  in  the  screen's  development  as  a 
medium  of  entertainment,  and  does  not  concern  itself 
with  the  fact  that  when  the  film  industry  ceased  mak- 
ing silent  pictures  it  abandoned  the  art  which  cre- 
ated it  and  gave  us  a bastardized  product  of  a mis- 
alliance between  film  ignorance  and  the  sound  device. 
But  the  book  is  none  the  less  one  which  should  be  in 
the  library  of  everyone  interested  in  th  physical  his- 
tory of  the  screen. 

* * * 

DEAF  SUBSCRIBER  AGREES  WITH  US 

TELL  a director  a picture  he  made  was  harmed  by 
1 the  manner  in  which  his  players  almost  shouted  their 
lines,  and  he  will  tell  you  the  fault  lies  in  the  hands  of 
theatre  proiectionists  who  step  up  the  sound  beyond 
the  point  of  its  being  easy  to  listen  to.  The  Spectator 
always  has  contended  it  is  not  the  volume  of  the 
sound  which  irritates  an  audience,  that  the  irritating 
quality  in  too  loudly  read  lines  cannot  be  eliminated 
even  if  the  sound  be  stepped  down  to  the  volume 
of  a whisper.  From  Joseph  R.  Adams,  a Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  subscriber  to  the  Spectator,  comes  support  of 
its  contention.  "I  want  to  tell  you  of  one  of  the  many 
things  about  which  you  are  correct,"  writes  Mr. 
Adams.  "I  am  hard  of  hearing  and  to  some  extent 
rely  upon  lip  reading  to  follow  what  the  actors  on  the 
screen  are  saying.  Only  when  they  talk  in  loud  tones 
can  I hear  everything  clearly.  But  when  two  actors, 
standing  close  to  one  another  and  not  quarreling, 
speak  so  l<3ud  I hear  them  distinctly,  I know  they  are 
talking  more  loudly  than  there  is  reason  for,  and  I do 
not  like  it.  I did  not  know  why  until  I read  what  you 
wrote  about  it  not  being  possible  to  take  out  what  ir- 
ritates me,  even  by  lowering  the  tone  when  the  pic- 
ture is  being  shown.  I thought  this  would  interesi 
you.  Tell  the  people  who  make  the  pictures  that  even 
deaf  people  don't  like  to  be  shouted  at." 

* * * 

WE  SUGGEST  AN  AWARD 

THIS  being  the  open  season  for  Academy  award 
1 suggestions,  I would  like  to  make  one.  It  is  that 
one  of  the  largest  Oscars  should  be  presented  to  the 
director  who  first  shows  us  a football  coach  address- 
ing his  squad  with  his  back  to  the  camera  and  facing 
his  listeners.  Or  it  might  be  awarded  to  any  director 
who  stages  a huddle  of  any  sort  in  which  all  the  people 
in  it  are  not  looking  at  the  back  of  a person  making 
a speech  to  them. 

* * * 

"LADIES  FIRST"  A GOOD  RULE 

f) F COURSE,  if  I were  an  actor  I no  doubt  would 

v behave  as  actors  behave,  but,  not  being  an  actor, 

I feel  if  I were  one  and  were  a male  star  co-starring 
with  a female  star,  I would  insist  upon  her  getting  first 
billing.  Possibly  it  is  because  I am  old-fashioned  that 


it  gripes  me  when  I see  such  billing  as  "Robert  Taylor 
and  Greer  Garson"  in  something  or  other.  It  gives 
me  the  feeling  that  Bob  is  guilty  of  displaying  bad 
taste.  And  it  is  a safe  bet  that  outside  Hollywood, 
where  provisions  in  stars'  contracts  are  unknown  and 
the  rules  governing  credits  also  are  unknown,  there 
are  a few  million  other  old-fashioned  people  who 
would  be  pleased  more  with  Bob  if  the  billing  were 
"Greer  Garson  and  Robert  Taylor."  Social  conven- 
tions, you  know,  have  some  box-office  value,  too. 

* * * 

MENTAL  MEANDERINGS 

TIGHT-FORTY-FIVE  A.M.;  in  a I awn  chair,  pad  on 
^knee,  the  Spaniel  lying  at  my  right,  the  Peke  in 
front  of  me,  my  pipe  drawing  nicely,  not  a blessed 
idea  in  my  head,  the  bottom  of  the  column  a long 
distance  away.  ...  A pause  while  a bumblebee,  built 
like  a battleship,  landed  on  the  wrist  of  my  sweater, 
applauded  me  with  his  hind  feet,  continued  on  his 
wandering  course  as  if  trying  to  baffle  any  submarines 
which  might  be  lurking  underneath  him.  Do  not  see 
many  bumblebees,  but  there  are  a lot  of  the  honey 
kind  zooming  from  flower  to  flower  a few  feet  from 
me.  . . . Started  the  day  by  helping  Tom,  the  man- 
about-the-place,  put  the  last  of  the  firewood  in  the 
back  of  the  garage  where  the  winter  rains  will  not 
reach  it.  There  is  a lot  of  comfort  and  illuminated 
warmth  for  Mrs.  Spectator  and  me  stored  away  in 
the  blocks  of  wood  which  on  winter  nights  will  achieve 
their  destiny  in  the  living-room  fireplace,  recreated 
warmth  of  the  sun  they  absorbed  during  the  decades 
they  were  reaching  for  the  sky.  ...  A few  nights  ago 
a friend  dropped  in,  made  directly  for  the  radio,  ex- 
plaining he  wanted  to  get  a Berlin  broadcast,  and  in  a 
minute  he  had  it,  as  clear  as  if  from  a local  station. 
We  have  had  the  set  for  three  years,  and  had  no 
idea  it  could  perform  like  that.  Since  then  I have 
been  exploring  the  world,  but  swore  off  last  night  to 
relieve  the  strain  on  Mrs.  Spectator's  nervous  system. 
. . . Sixteen  years  ago,  on  the  night  the  station  first 
went  on  the  air,  I stepped  to  the  KNX  microphone 
and  said,  "This  is  KNX,  the  voice  of  Hollywood,"  and 
the  phrase  became  a permanent  announcement.  . . . 
Our  rural  district  has  taken  on  city  ways;  as  I was 
leaving  a Van  de  Kamp  bakery  a young  fellow  entered, 
attempted  a hold-up  and  was  killed  by  a policeman's 
bullet — just  a newspaper  item  for  a day,  but  endless 
sorrow  in  some  home.  . . . Our  apricot  trees  have 
laudable  habits;  early  in  the  spring  they  sprout  leaves 
and  blossoms,  then  bend  their  branches  beneath  the 
weight  of  golden  fruit;  follows  the  summer  during 
which  they  provide  generous  and  welcome  shade,  and 
not  until  now,  with  Christmas  so  near,  are  the  last 
leaves  falling  to  give  right  of  way  to  the  rays  and 
warmth  of  the  sun  without  interfering  shade,  while  on 
our  cellar  shelves  the  gold  of  their  fruit  shines  from 
glass  containers.  . . . Winter  nights  are  cold  in  the 
Valley  along  which  our  dirt  road  runs;  I wear  long 
flannel  nightshirts  and  don't  care  a gol  darn  who 
knows  it. 


DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  FIVE 


Wkat  iate  OheJ  £cok  £ike 


Western  Moves  Up 
To  Class  A Dignity 


DESTRY  RIDES  AGAIN.  Universal 


Producer 

Director 

Story 

Photography 
Art  director 
Musical  director 
Musical  score 


Joe  Pasternak 
George  Marshall 
Felix  Jackson 
Hal  Mohr 
Jack  Otterson 
Charles  Previn 
Frank  Skinner 


Cast:  Marlene  Dietrich,  James  Stewart,  Mischa 
Auer,  Charles  Winninger,  Una  Merkel,  Brian 
Donlevy,  Irene  Hervey,  Allen  Jenkins,  Billy 
Gilbert,  Samuel  Hinds,  Jack  Carson,  Warren 
Hvmer. 


STANDARD  Western  raised  by  star 
names  to  the  dignity  of  Class  A 
rating.  As  far  back  as  June,  1926,  in 
the  full  flush  of  its  youthful  optimistic 
enthusiasm,  the  Spectator  announced  in 
determined  looking  type  that  Westerns 
should  be  the  most  important  pictures 
on  the  programs  of  every  studio,  that 
the  biggest  stars  should  appear  in  them. 
Universal  seemingly  has  come  around 
finally  to  the  Spectator’ s way  of  think- 
ing. It  dignifies  Westerns  by  giving  us 
Marlene  Dietrich  and  Jimmie  Stewart 
in  one  of  them,  and  at  the  same  time 
takes  the  dignity  out  of  Marlene  and 
shoots  her  up  to  an  important  place 
on  the  box-office  list.  She  certainly  will 
be  in  demand  after  Destry  Rides  Again 
is  shown  generally.  And  Westerns  will 
be  in  demand  for  the  biggest  houses. 

Joe  Pasternak,  one  of  Hollywood's 
most  gifted  producers,  was  cautious  in 
making  his  first  Western.  To  be  on  the 
safe  side,  he  put  into  it  a little  of  every- 
thing, and  a lot  of  some  of  the  things, 
wh'ch  had  been  in  every  picture  of  the 
sort  made  prior  to  his.  T hat  is  one 
weakness  of  his  first  attempt  — he  keeps 
his  screen  too  crowded.  And  on  the 
whole  it  is  too  noisy,  there  being  little 
of  the  stern-silent-man  of  the  West  feel- 
ing in  it.  Charley  Winninger’s  voice  be- 
comes hard  to  listen  to,  and  Sam 
Hinds’s  cud  of  chewing  tobacco  finally 
becomes  disgusting,  even  though  it  is 
silent. 


Makes  Good  Box-Office 

But  what  matters  most  about  Joe's 
picture  is  that  it  is  good  box-office. 
Marlene  Dietrich's  telling  performance 
will  come  as  no  surprise  to  those  who 
could  see  the  promise  behind  her  previ- 
ous characterizations,  and  Jimmie  Stew- 
art's superb  performance  will  not  sur- 
prise anyone  who  has  watched  his  steady 
progress  to  recognition  as  one  of  the 
screen’s  most  brilliant  actors.  Marlene's 
singing  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining 
features  of  the  picture.  Una  Merkel, 
always  one  of  the  screen’s  most  depend- 
able players,  adds  strength  to  the  cast 


even  though  her  role  does  not  give  her 
a chance  to  realize  all  her  possibilities. 
Mischa  Auer,  Brian  Donlevy,  Allen 
Jenkins,  Irene  Hervey,  Virginia  Brissac, 
Billy  Gilbert  are  among  others  who 
contribute  to  the  entertainment  quality 
of  the  picture. 

Jack  Otterson’s  skill  as  an  art  director 
is  responsible  for  the  authentic  Western 
atmosphere  his  settings  reflect.  His  sa- 
loon is  one  of  the  most  colorful  yet  to 
appear  in  a Western  picture,  the  elab- 
orate bar  with  its  ornate  carving  being 
reminiscent  of  the  baroque  design  of 
the  time  of  the  story.  Hal  Mohr’s  pho- 
tography does  full  justice  to  all  the  pic- 
torial possibilities  of  everything  at 
which  his  camera  was  aimed.  Felix 
Jackson's  story  was  made  into  a virile 
screen  play  by  him,  Gertrude  Purcell 
and  Henry  Myers,  and  the  three  are  to 
be  credited  with  one  of  the  liveliest 
scripts  ever  handed  a director.  George 
Marshall  makes  the  most  of  its  possi- 
bilities. 

Even  though  it  is  full  of  shooting 
and  sudden  death,  you  may  take  the 
children.  Vhey  are  used  to  such  things 
in  Westerns.  Study  groups  should  note 
how  Hinds's  constant  tobacco  chewing 
ruins  his  characterization . even  though 
it  was  designed  to  give  individuality  to 
it.  Exhibitors  can  promise  a new  Die- 
trich. one  of  the  most  dynamic  Western 
heroines  we  have  had. 


The  Great  Herbert 


Makes  Andy  Great 

THE  GREAT  VICTOR  HERBERT,  Paramount 
Producer-director  Andrew  L.  Stone 

Screen  play  Russel  Crouse,  Robert  Lively 
Based  on  a story  by:  Robert  Lively,  Andrew 
L.  Stone. 

Music  supervisor  Phil  Boutelje 

Music  Scorer  Arthur  Lange 

Musical  numbers  staged  by  LeRoy  Prinz 

Director  of  photography  Victor  Milner,  A.S.C 
Art  direction  Hans  Dreier.  Ernst  Fegte 

Costumes  Edith  HecH 

Editor  James  Smith 

Sound  recording  Hugo  Grenzbach,  John  Cope 
Interior  decorations  A.  E.  Frei denar'. 

All  music  Victor  Herbert 

Cast:  Allan  Jones,  Mary  Martin,  Walter  Con- 
nolly, Lee  Bowman,  Susanna  Foster,  Judith 
Barrett,  Jerome  Cowan,  John  Garrick,  Pierre 
Watkin,  Richard  Tucker,  Hal  K.  Dawson,  Em- 
mett Vogan,  Mary  Currier,  James  Finlayson. 


£XCELLENT  entertainment.  A pic- 
ture more  about  Herbert's  music  than 
about  Herbert  himself,  but  such  music  is 
ideal  for  screen  entertainment  when  re- 
produced as  we  have  it  here,  and  given 
additional  value  as  entertainment  by 
being  made  part  of  the  entertaining 
story.  A picture  which  consists  so  large- 
ly of  music  and  concerns  chiefly  three 


characters  who  sing,  must  be  left  to 
Dr.  Ussher  to  review  (page  11).  To 
my  non-critical  music  ear,  every  note 
sung  or  bar  played  was  a delight,  no 
matter  what  Bruno  thinks  about  it. 

Twelve  or  thirteen  years  ago  a young 
fellow  came  to  me  with  some  stories  he 
had  written  for  the  screen.  He  never 
had  been  inside  a studio,  and  he  asked 
me  if  I would  read  his  material  and  tell 
him  if  in  my  judgement  he  could  do 
anything  useful  if  he  did  get  into  one. 

I saw  promise  in  his  stories  and  in  what 
he  said  about  his  screen  ambitions.  I 
forget  now  how  he  managed  it,  but  he 
made  a picture,  and  in  my  review  I 
praised  it  and  predicted  a glowing  film 
career  for  the  young  man.  But  he  got 
nowhere  in  Hollywood,  made  a living 
for  some  years  at  something  else,  fi- 
nally came  back  to  the  film  capital  and 
again  tackled  pictures.  The  young  fel- 
low’s name  was  Andrew  L.  Stone. 

Andrew  L.  Stone  Arrives 

•J  A week  ago  last  Monday  Andy  Stone 
added  his  name  in  large,  indelible  let- 
ters to  the  scroll  of  those  who  have 
won  important  places  in  the  film  world. 
Assigned  by  his  chief,  William  LeBaron, 
to  do  a picture  about  Victor  Herbert, 
he  outlined  a story,  collaborated  with 
Robert  Lively  in  writing  it,  approved 
the  screen  play  of  Lively  and  Russell 
Crouse,  produced  it,  directed  it,  has 
given  to  the  world  one  of  the  most  en- 
gaging bits  of  screen  entertainment  it 
has  had  in  years.  He  has  made  other 
pictures,  but  none  as  big  and  fine  as 
The  Great  Victor  Herbert. 

Revealing  a sense  of  drama,  of  human 
values,  of  characterization  and  music 
appreciation,  Andy  makes  playthings 
of  our  emotions  and  puts  us  in  debt 
to  him  for  a rare  cinematic  treat.  Es- 
pecially fortunate  was  he  in  the  selection 
of  his  cast,  every  member  of  which  re- 
sponds to  his  direction  in  a most  capa- 
ble manner.  From  Allan  Jones  we  could 
expect  only  satisfactory  acting  and  su- 
perlative singing,  from  Walter  Connol- 
ly another  of  those  intelligent  and  com- 
pelling performances  which  add  strength 
to  all  the  pictures  in  which  he  is  cast. 
Two  girls  make  most  impressive  first 
appearances,  Mary  Martin  and  Susanna 
Foster.  Mary  has  the  ingratiating  per- 
sonality essential  to  screen  success  and 
the  ability  to  express  it  intelligently. 
Susanna  is  destined  to  develope  rare  act- 
ing ability,  and  could  become  a screen 
favorite  even  without  the  aid  of  her  fine 
singing  voice.  Lee  Bowman,  Judith 
Barrett,  Jerome  Cowan,  in  fact,  all  the 
others  who  names  appear  in  the  cast  are 
to  be  credited  with  fine  performances. 

Technicians  Deserve  Credit 

<J  Technically,  the  picture  is  up  to  the 
best  Hollywood  standard.  Victor  Mil- 
ner’s photography  is  of  fine  quality  and 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


brings  out  all  the  values  of  the  artistic 
settings  designed  by  Hans  Dreier  and 
Ernst  Fegte,  as  well  as  the  beautiful 
costumes  contributed  by  Edith  Head 
and  the  interior  decorations  by  A.  E. 
Freudeman.  The  staging  of  the  musical 
numbers  by  LeRoy  Prinz  played  a large 
part  in  making  the  production  so  visu- 
ally attractive,  and  credit  is  due  James 
Smith  for  film  editing  which  produces 
such  smooth  progression  of  scenes. 

Entertainment  for  everyone,  particu- 
larly for  one  who  enjoys  a rare  combin- 
ation of  music  and  drama.  Motion  pic- 
appreciation  classes  should  note  the 
adroit  manner  in  which  the  musical 
numbers  are  woven  into  the  whole  fabric 
without  breaking  the  continuity  of  aud- 
ience interest  in  the  story.  Lacking  in 
outstanding  star  names,  exhibitors  will 
find  it  necessary  to  get  behind  it  energet- 
ically, but  it  will  more  than  make  good 
all  the  advance  exploitation  given  it. 

Too  Many  Wives , 

Too  Much  Footage 

FOUR  WIVES,  Warner  Bros. -First  National 
Executive  producer  Hal  B.  Wallis 

Associate  producer  Henry  Blanke 

Director  Michael  Curtiz 

Screen  play:  Julius  J.  and  Philip  G.  Epstein, 
and  Maurice  Hanline. 

Suggested  by  the  book,  "Sister  Act,"  by  Fan- 
nie Hurst. 

Musical  director  Leo  F.  Forbstein 

Director  of  photography  Sol  Polito,  A.S.C. 

Art  director  John  Hughes 

Film  editor  Ralph  Dawson 

Orchestral  arrangements:  Hugo  Friedhofer, 

Ray  Heindorf. 

Cast:  Claude  Rains,  Jeffrey  Lynn,  Eddie  Al- 
bert, May  Robson,  Frank  McHugh,  Dick  Foran, 
Henry  O'Nei'L  Vera  Lewis,  John  Qualen,  Pris- 
cilla Lane,  Rosemary  Lane,  Lola  Lane,  Gale 
Page. 

rOO  many  wives.  Driving  four  abreast 
from  one  end  of  a picture  to  the  other 
and  keeping  the  pace  even,  seems  to  have 
been  a job  too  tough  for  a talented 
bunch  of  drivers  even  when  under  the 
guidance  of  Hal  Wallis  and  one  of  film- 
dom’s  really  great  associate  producers, 
Henry  Blanke.  The  picture  is  not  a 
total  loss.  It  will  hold  your  attention  in 
a mild  sort  of  way,  but  it  is  stretched 
out  too  far  for  what  is  in  it.  A picture 
gets  pretty  thin  when  about  sixty  min- 
utes of  real  story  value  is  stretched  out 
to  cover  110  minutes  of  running  time. 
This  one  becomes  somewhat  confusing. 
As  a reviewer,  I do  not  strain  my  atten- 
tion to  keep  abreast  of  what  is  happen- 
ing on  the  screen.  I feel  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  picture  to  tell  its  story  so  clearly 
no  straining  is  necessary  to  follow  it. 

This  picture  tries  to  keep  our  interest 
divided  evenly  between  four  couples  and 
the  spirit  of  the  deceased  husband  of 
one  of  the  eight  people.  As  I review  it 
mentally  to  determine  what  to  say  about 
it,  I find  myself  rather  muddled.  To 


follow  closely  the  sequence  of  compli- 
cations required  more  mental  concentra- 
tion than  I think  one  should  be  asked  to 
exert  when  viewing  something  which 
he  seeks  as  mental  relaxation. 

Direction  Could  Be  Better 

<]J  While  my  general  impression  is  that 
the  picture  is  pleasant  entertainment  but 
somewhat  too  long,  it  is  not  as  good 
as  it  would  have  been  if  Mike  Curtiz 
had  given  it  the  high  quality  direction 
of  which  he  long  since  has  proven  him- 
self capable.  In  one  scene,  for  instance, 
the  four  daughters  wake  up  to  the  fact 
that  Father  s Day  has  passed  and  not 
one  of  them  remembered  it.  They  rush 
to  their  father  with  words  of  contrite 
endearment.  The  father  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  room  with  his  face  to  the 
camera;  the  four  daughters  stand  in  a 
row  behind  him,  their  faces  to  the  cam- 
era, while  they  tell  his  back  how  sorry 
they  are.  It  beats  me  how  such  absurdly 
distorted  grouping  can  get  into  a major 
studio  production. 

However,  there  are  a number  of  ex- 
cellent performances  in  Four  Wives.  The 
old  standbys  repeat  the  successes  achiev- 
ed when  they  appeared  together  prev- 
iously. Eddie  Albert  reveals  talent  which 
should  carry  him  a long  way.  And  the 
four  girls,  of  course,  are  charming.  The 
production,  photography,  sound,  and 
film  editing  are  of  high  standard. 

Not  up  to  the  standard  set  by  Four 
Daughters,  but  it  has  its  points.  Of  little 
interest  to  children,  but  all  right  for  the 
rest  of  the  family. 

Opens  With  Drink, 
Ends  With  Death 

THE  NIGHT  OF  NIGHTS,  Paramount 
Producer  George  Arthur 

Director  Lewis  Milestone 

Original  screen  play  Donald  Ogden  Stewart 
Photography  Leo  Tover,  A.S.C. 

Art  direction  Flans  Dreier,  Ernst  Fegte 

Editor  Doane  Harrison 

Costumes  Edith  Flead 

Music  score  Victor  Young 

Sound  recording  Gene  Merritt,  Don  Johnson 
Interior  decorations  A.  E.  Freudeman 

Cast:  Pat  O'Brien,  Olympe  Bradna,  Roland 

Young,  Reginald  Gardiner,  George  E.  Stone, 
Murray  Alper. 

ANDICAPPED  by  fundamental 
story  weakness  in  that  its  success  de- 
pends upon  its  ability  to  make  us  inter- 
ested in  a wholly  uninteresting  charac- 
ter. We  first  see  Pat  O’Brien  beginning 
a drunken  spree  before  the  opening  of  a 
Broadway  show  in  which  he  stars  with 
Roland  Young.  The  two  are  plastered 
to  the  eyebrows  as  they  make  their  first 
entrance  when  the  show  begins,  and  they 
behave  so  outrageously  the  curtain  is 
rung  down,  the  show  is  closed,  the  ca- 
reers of  the  two  brought  to  an  abrupt 
end.  Pat’s  wife,  whom  we  do  not  see 
but  who  was  to  have  her  big  chance 


in  the  show,  leaves  him,  and  there  fol- 
lows a time  lapse  of  twenty  years. 

We  next  see  Pat,  morose,  silent,  sit- 
ting at  a table  in  the  Lambs  Club,  and 
a line  of  dialogue  informs  us  that  for 
the  first  five  of  the  score  of  years  he 
searched  diligently  but  unsuccessfully 
for  his  wife,  and  for  the  remaining  fif- 
teen apparently  had  been  sitting  at  the 
table,  a dead  thing  which  still  breathed 
and  could  mutter  sentences.  For  the 
greater  part  of  the  footage  he  is  that 
way,  and  he  does  not  come  to  life  even 
upon  the  arrival  of  his  daughter,  of 
whose  existence  he  had  been  unaware 
until  she  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  learned  also  that  his  wife  had  died 
when  the  child  was  born. 

Technically  a Good  Job 

<J  Donald  Ogden  Stewart  had  an  idea 
buried  in  his  original  screen  play,  but  it 
was  not  an  idea  upon  which  a satisfac- 
tory motion  picture  could  be  based. 
Everyone  connected  with  its  production 
is  to  be  commended  for  his  honest,  sin- 
cere effort  to  turn  out  a thoughtful, 
entertaining  bit  of  screen  entertainment, 
but  the  attempt  to  keep  us  interested  in 
a most  uninteresting  central  character 
proves  unsuccessful.  In  the  first  sequence 
we  become  disgusted  with  the  man 
O'Brien  plays,  and  during  the  remainder 
of  the  footage  we  become  weary  of  him 
and  indifferent  to  what  the  fates  still 
may  have  in  store  for  him.  His  death 
at  the  end  leaves  us  unmoved. 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  Pat's  en- 
actment of  the  role.  His  performance  is 
really  a brilliant  one,  but  has  to  carry 
too  much  weight.  Roland  Young,  al- 
ways the  capable  actor,  also  is  excellent. 
A charming  and  talented  young  miss 
Olympe  Bradna  proves  to  be,  one  who 
soon  should  have  a great  screen  follow- 
ing. George  E.  Stone,  one  of  Holly- 
wood’s finest  actors  whom  we  do  not 
see  often  enough:  Reginald  Gardiner,  al- 
ways capable,  and  Murray  Alper,  also 
talented,  round  out  the  small  but  com- 
pletely competent  cast.  Lewis  Mile- 
stone's direction  is  excellent,  and  none 
of  the  picture's  weaknesses  can  be  charg- 
ed to  him.  Artistic  settings  are  provid- 
ed by  Hans  Dreier  and  Ernest  Fegte,  fine 
quality  photography  by  Leo  Tover, 
expert  film  editing  bv  Doane  Harrison. 


Printing 

Mimeographing 

Multigra 

phing 

lypeing 

JEANNE  EDWARDS 

1655  North  Cherokee 

(at  Hollywood  Blvd.) 

HEmpstead  1969 

DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  SEVEN 


A big  share  of  whatever  satisfaction  the 
picture  will  give  will  be  due  to  the  fine 
musical  score  by  Victor  Young  and  its 
meritorious  recording  by  Soundmen 
Gene  Merritt  and  Don  Johnson. 

Technically  a wholly  creditable  job. 
but  it  cannot  be  recommended  as  popu- 
lar entertainment.  Not  for  children  and 
I can  see  nothing  in  it  for  study  groups. 
Gets  it  motivation  from  a drunken  de- 
bauch and  I never  can  see  merit  in 
drunkenness  as  a motivating  factor  in 
screen  entertainment . 

Damon  Runyon  Story 
Is  Highly  Original 

JOE  AND  ETHEL  TURP  CALL  ON 
THE  PRESIDENT 
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

Producer  Edgar  Selwyn 

Director  Robert  B.  Sinclair 

Screen  play  Melville  Baker 

Based  on  a story  by  Damon  Runyon 

Musical  score  Edward  Ward,  David  Snell 
Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Director  of  photography  Leonard  Smith,  A.S.C. 
Film  editor  Gene  Ruggiero 

Cast:  Ann  Sothern,  Lewis  Stone,  Walter  Bren- 
nan, William  Gargan,  Marsha  Hunt,  Tom 
Neal,  James  Bush,  Don  Costello,  Muriel  Hutch 
ison.  Jack  Norton,  Aldrich  Bowker,  Frederick 
Burton,  A1  Shean,  Robei-t  Emmett  O'Connor, 
Cliff  Clark,  Russell  Hicks,  Paul  Everton, 

Charles  Trowbridge. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
N ENT  ER  I AINING  show  results 
from  the  visit  of  Joe  and  Ethel  Turp 
to  the  White  House.  The  Damon  Run- 
yon piece,  adopted  to  the  screen  by  Mel- 
ville Baker,  is  certainly  a unique  admix- 
ture of  elements.  It  is  at  once  a portrait 
of  a slice  of  Americana  and  a sly  com- 
mentary on  national  and  international 
affairs,  keeps  two  stories  going  at  the 
same  time,  and  presents  strong  contrasts 
in  humor  and  poignancy.  Whatever 
else  may  be  said  about  Joe  and  Ethel 
Turp  Call  On  the  President,  the  film 
must  be  commended  for  high  originality. 

That  the  Turps  manage  to  see  the 
president  with  such  facility,  having  ap- 
pealed to  his  sense  of  humor,  may  seem 
a trifle  far-fetched  in  retrospect,  but  it 
is  made  to  seem  plausible  enough  during 
the  story’s  unreeling.  Of  course,  the 
naive  Turps  need  not  have  visited  the 
President  at  all:  the  Postmaster  General 
would  have  done  just  as  well.  It  all 
makes  a good  yarn,  though,  and  the 
piece  somehow  does  not  invite  dissection. 

Their  Motive  Worthy 

<|  J he  urgency  of  the  couple’s  trip  to 
Washington  is  created  by  the  predica- 
ment into  which  their  mailman  has  got 
himself,  having  been  discharged  and  ar- 
rested for  destroying  a special  delivery 
letter.  There  are  extenuating  circum- 
stances, though,  plead  the  Turps  before 
the  President,  and  to  make  the  case  fully 
known  to  His  Honor,  they  start  at  the 


beginning,  when  Jim  the  mailman  was 
a young  fellow  in  love  with  a girl  an- 
other fellow  got.  Their  narration  is 
embodied  in  filmic  form,  sometimes  with 
their  own  voices  accompanying  the  ac- 
tion, sometimes  with  the  characters  from 
the  past  taking  over. 

It  is  a tale  of  much  sentiment,  of  a 
love  that  endures  into  old  age  and  leads 
the  mailman  to  compose  and  deliver  let- 
ters purported  to  be  from  the  woman’s 
son,  really  a worthless  fellow,  in  order 
that  the  old  lady,  an  invalid,  will  be 
made  happy.  Some  of  the  Turps'  own 
tribulations  are  interwoven  with  the 
narration,  an  amusing  episode  being  that 
in  which  an  entertainer  in  pajamas  is 
discovered  in  Joe’s  bedroom,  though  he 
s the  innocent  victim  of  circumstance, 
protests  Joe.  Now  and  then  incidents 
of  the  presidential  interview  are  inter- 
polated. 

Brennan  Again  Is  Outstanding 

<1  Certainly  the  Turps  are  an  amusing 
pair.  One  wonders,  though,  if  a more 
effective  film  would  not  have  resulted  if 
their  mannerisms  and  antics  were  not 
given  such  a highlighting,  if  their  amus- 
ing aspect  did  not  contrast  so  widely 
with  the  essentially  pathetic  tone  of  the 
story  related  in  flash-back.  After  all. 
there  is  also  an  aspect  of  pathos  to  the 
awkwardly  groping  Turps,  as  there  is 
to  their  many  counterparts:  indeed,  as 
there  is,  in  some  degree,  to  all  of  us. 

Ann  Sothern  and  William  Gargan 
are  ideally  cast  for  the  pair,  manage  the 
Brooklyn  lingo  and  mannerisms  in  a 
very  comical  way.  The  outstanding  per- 
formance, though,  is  that  of  Walter 
Brennan,  who  makes  an  extraordinary 
transition  from  youth  to  old  age,  and 
invests  a part  which  might  have  been  a 
trifle  maudlin  with  often  moving  hu- 
manness. 

She  Surprises  Us 

Marsha  Hunt  is  a complete  surprise 
as  the  girl  of  his  heart,  aging  into  a 
sweet  old  lady  with  admirable  profi- 
ficiency.  It  is  inherently  admirable  char- 
acterization, and  if  dat  ol’  debil  camera 
sometimes  partly  unmasks  her  youth,  it 
is  because  the  old  boy  is  a relentlessly 
prying  fellow  and  extremely  hard  to 
fool. 

Wisely,  no  attempt  is  made  to  dup- 
licate the  President.  Lewis  Stone  creates 
a president  of  his  own,  a representative 
high  type  of  American,  possessed  of  a 
strong  sense  of  humor.  Direction  by 
Robert  Sinclair  is  capable  throughout. 
Cedric  Gibbons  and  his  associates  have 
given  us  an  attractive  White  House  in- 
terior and  a picturesque  Brooklyn.  Pho- 
tography and  the  musical  score  are  of 
good  calibre. 

A picture  of  unusual  invention,  in 
which  Damon  Runyon's  characters.  Joe 
and  Ethel  Turp,  call  on  the  President. 
There  is  a good  bit  of  humor  in  it  and 
some  successful  pathos  too. 


Dt ocalist  Breen 

Depicts  A Latin 

ESCAPE  TO  PARADISE,  RKO 

Associate  producer  Barney  Briskin 

Director  E-Ie  C.  Kenton 

Screen  play  Weldon  Melick 

Original  story  Ian  Hunter,  Herbert  C.  Lewis 
Musical  director  Victor  Young 

Songs:  "Tra-La-La"  and  "Rhythm  of  the  Rio," 

by  Nilo  Menendez,  Edward  Cherkose. 
Director  of  photography  Charles  Schoenbaum 
Art  director  Lewis  J.  Rachmil 

Film  editor  Arthur  Hilton 

Cast:  Bobby  Breen,  Kent  Taylor,  Marla  Shel- 
ton, Joyce  Compton,  Pedro  de  Cordoba,  Rob- 
ert O.  Davis,  Rosina  Galli,  Frank  Yaconelli, 
Anna  Demetrio. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

LL  right  as  a programer.  No  great 
care  has  gone  into  the  making  of  the 
new  Bobby  Breen  offering,  there  are 
some  rough  edges  hanging  out  in  nearly 
all  phases  of  production.  The  story, 
however,  if  rather  obviously  contrived 
in  places  and  possessed  of  a few  slow 
spots,  is  entertaining  in  a light  way, 
bolstered  by  frequent  interludes  of  song. 

A South  American  country  is  the  lo- 
cale, where  a young  American  tourist  is 
inveigled  by  circumstance  into  buying  a 
considerable  quantity  of  mate,  a South 
American  tea,  having  presented  himself 
as  a New  York  dealer  in  order  to  have 
an  excuse  for  meeting  the  planter’s  come- 
ly daughter.  The  American’s  guide, 
Bobby  Breen,  an  imaginative  lad,  spreads 
the  word  around  that  the  visitor  is  in- 
tent on  buying  up  all  the  mate  in  the 
district,  with  the  result  that  the  fellow 
becomes  a feted  hero. 

Spanish  Language  Freely  Used 

•I  The  lovers  seem  smitten  by  the  auth- 
ors rather  than  by  Dan  Cupid,  and  the 
circumstances  of  the  American’s  becom- 
ing a local  hero  seem  a little  forced,  but 
the  plot  suffices  for  a musical  produc- 
tion. Portions  are  fairly  amusing,  and 
the  piece  affords  numerous  opportunities 
for  interjecting  song.  One  whole  scene 
is  done  in  Spanish,  and  Bobby  does  con- 
siderable singing  in  the  language,  fac- 
tors which  should  be  assets  for  South 
American  bookings,  as  will  a ringing 
address  by  the  American  in  which  he 
advocates  a greater  unity  and  more 
extensive  trade  relations  between  the 
Americas. 

Bobby  assumes  a Spanish  dialect  in  a 
natural  and  humorous  way.  He  does 
well  in  the  part,  stands  out  despite  that 
the  plot  actually  centers  about  others. 
The  preview  audience  seemed  to  go  for 
the  boy’s  falsetto  and  heavy-of-vibrato 
singing.  My  own  reaction  is  that  he  is 
getting  to  be  a good  sized  lad  now 
and  could  begin  to  cut  down  on  the 
“schmalz.”  His  singing  of  one  number 
in  straight  English,  incidentally,  quite 
abandoning  the  dialect,  seemed  rather 


PAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


too  much  of  a liberty,  even  for  a mu- 
sical. 

Musical  Direction  Able 

Cfl  Kent  Taylor  gives  a lithe  and  whim- 
sical performance  as  the  tourist,  and 
Marla  Shelton  is  decorative  as  the  sen- 
orita.  Erie  Kenton’s  direction  is  satis- 
factory. The  best  technical  contribu- 
tion is  that  of  Victor  Young’s,  who  has 
handled  the  music  capably. 

Evidences  of  a limited  budget  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  staging,  though  one  or 
two  of  the  sets  are  expansive  and  gen- 
erously peopled.  The  stepped-up  pho- 
tography, resorted  to  during  Bobby’s 
motorcycle  episodes,  is  a slapstick  de- 
vice, and  cheapens  a picture.  A notice- 
ably poor  piece  of  editing  comes  at  the 
very  end,  when  three  performers  assume 
a seated  pose  between  one  note  of  a song 
and  another.  The  fault  may  lie  in  the 
shooting,  of  course. 

If  you  are  a devotee  of  Bobby  Breen’s 
singing,  you  will  get  a good  deal  of  it 
here,  much  of  it  in  the  Spanish  language. 
The  lad  assumes  a Spanish  accent  too, 
and  with  humorous  effect.  7'he  story  is 
acceptable  for  a musical,  the  staging  ade- 
quate for  a lower  budget  film. 

Detective-Fiance 

Again  Outwitted 

PRIVATE  DETECTIVE,  a First  National  Picture 
Associate  producer  Bryan  Foy 

Screen  play  Earle  Snell,  Raymond  Schrock 
From  a story  by  Kay  Krause 

Director  Noel  Smith 

Director  of  photography  Ted  McCord,  A.S.C. 
Art  director  Stanley  Fleischer 

Film  editor Harold  McLernon 

Cast:  Jane  Wyman,  Dick  Foran,  Gloria  Dick- 
son, Maxie  Rosenbloom,  John  Ridgely,  Morgan 
Conway,  John  Eldredge,  Joseph  Crehan,  Wil- 
liam Davidson,  Vera  Lewis,  Julie  Stevens, 
Jack  Mower,  Henry  Blair,  Earl  Dwire,  Willie 
Best. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
OTHING  out  of  the  ordinary,  but  a 
lively  tempoed  little  picture,  with 
fairly  good  playing.  A murder  mystery, 
the  film  is  competently  plotted,  and  con- 
siderable suspense  is  realized  here  and 
there.  The  ingredients  are  familiar,  of 
course,  about  a young  woman  detective 
who  consistently  outwits  her  boy  friend, 
a police  detective,  assigned  to  the  same 
case — a la  Torchy  Blaine.  That  he  could 
retain  any  love  for  her  after  being  made 
a thorough  dunce  of,  is  indeed  testimony 
to  the  efficacy  of  Cupid’s  dart. 

There  are  a few  little  holes  to  be 
poked  in  the  yarn  if  you  want  to  take 
the  trouble,  but  you  are  not  supposed  to 
be  that  critical.  The  offering  will  be 
shown  in  conjunction  with  a better 
grade  of  film,  and  the  production  theory 
behind  this  one  apparently  is  that  you 
cannot  expect  too  much  at  bargain 
prices. 


Jane  Wyman  has  made  noticeable 
strides  in  the  art  of  Thespis  since  I last 
saw  her.  It  is  a good  comedy  perform- 
ance she  gives  here,  scintillating  and  as- 
sured, a factor  that  does  much  to  make 
acceptable  the  supreme  cleverness  of  the 
girl  she  portrays.  Dick  Foran  spends 
most  of  his  time  being  chagrined,  is 
efficient  at  it.  Gloria  Dickson’s  dramatic 
performance  would  have  been  improved 
by  the  absence  of  the  long  artificial  eye- 
lashes and  a more  judicious  use  of  the 
grease  pots.  She  does  not  seem  like  the 
same  actress  who  recently  gave  such  a 
genuine  portrayal  opposite  John  Gar- 
field. 

Director  Noel  Smith's  scenes  are  rath- 
er well  worked  out.  Bryan  Foy  has  not 
stinted  on  the  staging.  There  is  much 
of  background  music.  The  sets  are  ele- 
gant indeed.  The  yarn,  incidentally, 
came  from  Kay  Krause,  and  was  screen- 
played  by  Earle  Snell  and  Raymond 
Schrock. 

A detective  yarn  of  B grade,  as  good 
as  the  run  of  them. 

Romantic  Indeed 
Is  The  Cisco  Kid 

THE  CISCO  KID  AND  THE  LADY 
Twentieth  Century-Fox 

Associate  producer  John  Stone 

Director  Herbert  I.  Leeds 

Screen  play  Frances  Hyland 

Original  story  Stanley  Rauh 

Suggested  by  the  character,  "The  Cisco  Kid," 

created  by  William  Sydney  Porter  (O. 

Henry). 

Art  direction  Richard  Day,  Chester  Gore 

Director  of  photography  Barney  McGill,  A.S.C. 
Film  editor  Nick  De  Maggio 

Musical  direction  Samuel  Kaylin 

Cast:  Cesar  Romero,  Marjorie  Weaver,  Chris- 
pin  Martin,  George  Montgomery,  Robert  Bar- 
rat,  Virginia  Field,  Harry  Green,  Gloria  Ann 
White,  John  Beach,  Ward  Bond,  J.  Anthony 
Hughes,  James  Burke,  Harry  Hayden,  James 
Flavin,  Ruth  Warren. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
SOMEWHAT  glorified  Western 
The  characters  are  more  rounded 
than  in  the  run  of  such  operas,  situa- 
tions are  cleverer,  there  is  a good  deal 
of  humor,  but  at  heart  7 he  Cisco  Kid 
and  the  Lady  is  thoroughly  loyal  to  the 
ridin'  and  shootin’  genre.  It  has  that 
frank  dedication  to  heroics  and  excite- 
ments which  is  a prepossessing  quality 
in  the  Western.  There  are  numerous 
little  liberties  taken  with  verisimilitude, 
but  they  will  not  bother  you  if  you  are 
in  the  spirit  of  the  thing:  and  you  will 
probably  come  around. 

The  piece  is  as  romantic  and  gusty  a 
yarn  as  you  will  have  seen.  Stanley 
Rauh  has  wound  a highly  eventful  tale 
about  the  O.  Henry  character  and  Fran- 
ces Hyland  has  got  all  the  robustness  and 
humor  into  the  screen  play,  perhaps 
added  some.  The  appellation  “skunk” 
flies  freely. 


Cfl  A more  glamorous  Kid  than  any  of 
his  predecessors  emerges,  a sort  of  super- 
man as  adept  at  the  tango  as  at  intrique 
and  as  facile  at  love-making  as  at  song, 
a thoroughly  keen,  accomplished,  and 
irresistible  fellow.  Quite  a man.  Cesar 
Romero  is  wholly  equal  to  the  task  of 
embodying  all  the  Kid’s  attributes.  It 
is  an  easy,  graceful  performance.  If  at 
times  he  comes  perilously  close  to  unc- 
tuousness, it  is  largely  because  the  part 
is  too  heavily  loaded  with  elan  and  fer- 
vor. The  role  would  probably  benefit 
by  letting  the  fellow  experience  some 
heavier  emotions.  Unalloyed  debonair- 
ness and  cleverness  can  become  a bit 
cloying. 

There  is  a substantial  supporting  cast. 
Marjorie  Weavor  does  engagingly  what 
she  has  to  do.  She  should  not  notice- 
ably have  penciled  her  eyes,  though: 
school  mams  in  those  days  didn  t. 
Claudette  Colbert  presents  us  with  the 
same  anachronism  as  a pioneer  woman 
in  Drums  Along  the  Mohawk. 

She  Succumbs  Too 

CJ  Impressively  tempestuous  is  Virginia 
Field  as  a fiery  and  seasoned  cabaret  en- 
tertainer who  melts  as  readily  as  have 
a legion  of  others  before  the  fervid 
“line”  of  the  Kid.  At  the  concluding 
fade-out  she  rides  after  him,  and  the 
two  disappear  into  the  sunset  together, 
along  with  Chris-Pin  Martin.  Maybe 
the  three  are  to  be  seen  in  further  operas. 
Chris-Pin  Martin  has  never  been  more 
spontaneously  amusing  than  here.  There 
is  humor  in  Robert  Barrat's  typification 
of  the  stock  handlebar-mustached  vil- 
lain. George  Montgomery  is  satisfac- 
tory, needs  a little  more  experience. 

Considerable  of  the  flavor  and  humor 
of  the  show  is  traceable  to  the  direction 
of  Herbert  Leeds,  perhaps  the  best 
work  he  has  done.  One  of  his  most  re- 
sponsive players,  incidentally,  is  a baby, 
Gloria  Ann  White  by  name,  who  is 
prominently  cast  and  frequently  capti- 
vating. 

Scenic  investiture  is  colorful,  photog- 
raphy good.  In  fact,  Cinematographer 
Barney  McGill  rates  a plum  for  an  ex- 
traordinary composition  shot  in  which 
the  baby,  in  the  middle  of  a road,  is 


Eye.?  Examined  AND  Glasses  Fitted 


DEVER  D.  GRAY,  OPT.  D. 

...OPTOMETRIST... 


1725  North  Highland  Avenue 
Hollywood,  California 
HEmpstead  8438 


DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  NINE 


narrowly  missed  by  a stage  coach, 
swerving  just  in  time.  I hope  it  was 
a composition  shot.  The  musical  score 
of  Samuel  Kaylin  is  atmospheric.  An 
apparent  slip  in  the  editing  comes  to 
mind,  in  which  Barrat  is  seen  in  a 
long  shot  pointing  a rifle  at  a wagon  in 
the  distance.  In  the  following  close-up, 
he  speaks  before  he  raises  the  gun. 

A Cisco  Kid  more  dashing,  accom- 
plished. and  cleverer  than  any  of  his  pre- 
decessors is  here  to  be  seen,  and  there 
is  a gusto  tale  wound  around  him.  It 
is  all  stuff,  but  you  may  find  it  divert- 
ing. 

Prison  Ad  clod  ram  a 
Is  Aderely  Grim 

THE  BIG  GUY,  Universal  Pictures 
Director  Arthur  Lukin 

Producer  Burt  Kelly 

Screen  play  t ester  Cole 

Based  on  a story  by:  Wallace  Sullivan,  Rich- 
ard K.  Polimer. 

Director  of  photography  Elwood  Bredel,  A.S.C. 
Art  director  Jack  Otterson 

Associate  art  director  Charles  H.  Clarke 

Film  editor  Philip  Cahn 

Musical  director  H.  J.  Salter 

Cast:  Victor  McLaglen,  Jackie  Cooper,  Edward 
Brophy,  Peggy  Moran,  Ona  Munson,  Russell 
Hicks,  Jonathan  Hale,  Edward  Pawley,  George 
McKay. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

GAIN  we  are  shown  into  the  dread 
bowels  of  a orison.  Only  here  the 

drama  is  gr’m  without  being  either  sig- 
nificant or  forcefully  melodramatic.  The 
offering  is  pretty  much  of  a fiasco  from 
any  aspect.  Its  story  is  fabricated,  un- 
convincing, the  playing  generally  un- 
distinguished. From  the  Erne  the  lad  is 
innocently  sent  to  the  big  house,  we 
know  it  is  only  a matter  of  reels  until 
the  warden  breaks  down  and  confesses 
that  he  knows  the  lad  was  forced  at  the 
point  of  a gun  to  drive  the  truck  in 
which  two  prisoners  were  escaping,  and 
that  he  (the  warden)  contended  he  was 
unconscious  during  the  entire  ride  be- 
cause he  had  gotten  his  hands  on  a bag 
of  money  after  a smash-up  and,  with 
the  other  passengers  dead  or  unconscious, 
had  hidden  it. 

The  fact  that  a drawing  for  a new 
motor,  needed  to  substantiate  the  boys 
plea  of  innocence,  turns  out  to  be  the 
paper  in  which  the  warden  has  wrapped 
the  money,  is  a good  narrative  twist, 
Dresents  an  effective  bit  of  irony,  but 
that  is  the  only  merit  of  the  story.  Some 
of  the  scenes  were  so  improbable  as  to 
cause  snickers. 

No  Oscars  for  Anyone 

<1  As  the  warden,  Victor  McLagen  ap- 
pears to  be  doing  just  what  Director 
Arthur  Lubin  tells  him  too.  Supposedly 
torn  by  inner  conflict  in  one  scene,  the 
actor's  grimace  was  so  ludicrous  as  to 
provoke  a round  of  laughter.  Jackie 


Copper,  than  whom,  as  I have  asserted 
before,  there  is  no  better  juvenile  player 
in  pictures,  works  earnestly,  is  forceful 
in  a spot  or  two.  but  the  performance 
will  not  add  to  his  cinematic  starure. 

Edward  Brophy  is  professional  as 
a heavy,  and  as  much  can  be  said  for 
Ona  Munson,  none  too  appropriately 
cast  as  the  warden’s  wife.  Jonathan 
Hale  makes  the  best  of  an  insignificant 
part.  Technical  phases  are  all  right. 

A very  grim  drama  during  which  the 
audience  lauahs  at  the  wrong  places.  As 
for  the  children — have  you  interested 
them  in  making  divinity  with  walnuts ? 

Jhti  tfctliftoccct 

By  Bert  Harlen 

COMES  to  the  screen  the  ballet  in 
On  Your  Toes,  new  Warner  opus. 
Other  films  have  given  us  ballet  ex- 
hibitions in  the  abstract,  as  it  were,  but 
none  that  I recall  presented  a story  told 
through  the  dance.  In  tlrs  picture  there 
are  two  tales  recounted  through  the  art 
of  Terpsichore.  Both  aim  not  so  much 
to  glorify  the  ballet  as  to  satirize  it — 
at  least  one  does:  I was  not  sure  about 
the  other — but  you  can  get  the  effect  of 
dance-drama  on  the  screen. 

Though  undoubtedly  shortened  from 
their  running  time  in  the  Broadway 
show,  the  two  numbers  seem  very  long 
on  the  screen,  and  deprived  of  some 
of  the  color  and  sparkle  they  must  have 
had  on  the  stage.  Here  we  feel  the 
dancers  are  taking  too  much  time  to  tell 
their  story  and  are  telling  it  in  a cum- 
bersome way.  Yes,  “cumbersome'’  is 
the  word. 

Art  Forms  Confused 

q The  dance  itself  certainly  has  a place 
on  the  screen,  since  it  places  before  the 
camera  rhythmic  patterns,  and  rhythm 
is  one  of  the  most  important  elements 
of  the  cinema  art.  Few  sights  are  more 
pleasing  to  see  on  the  screen  than  a 
graceful  dance  routine. 

As  for  telling  a story  through  the 
dance,  however,  here  we  get  into  a pil- 
ing up  of  art  forms.  The  camera  itself 
is  a story  telling  medium.  To  relate 
with  the  camera  a story  of  dancers  re- 
lating a story  with  their  art,  is  like 
telling  a tale  of  another  man  telling 
a tale. 

On  the  screen  actors  do  not  unfold  a 
story,  but  pictures  of  actors  do.  There 
is  a big  difference. 

* * * 

ROUND  AND  ROUND  THEY  GO 

UCH  space  in  the  trade  publications 
continues  to  be  occupied  by  distrib- 
utor-exhibitor controversy.  A glance 
into  the  current  weekly  Variety  presents 
a complexity  of  viewpoints,  of  charges 
and  counter-charges,  brought  to  a head 


by  trepidation  resulting  from  the  loss 
of  European  markets.  Distributors,  in 
line  with  a recent  recommendation  of 
Joseph  Schenck,  feel  the  exhibitors 
should  cooperate  with  longer  runs:  ex- 
hibitors have  retorted  “give  us  the  pic- 
tures.’' The  only  point  on  which  there 
appears  to  be  any  common  agreement  is 
that  there  might  be  benefit  in  making 
fewer  pictures,  a recommendation  also 
advanced  by  Schenck.  incidentally. 
Probably  there  is  not  full  accord  even 
here.  And  “fewer’’  is  not  very  definite. 

Murray  Silverstone,  who  directs 
world-wide  operations  for  United  Art- 
ists, feels  that  “every  consideration’’ 
from  exhibitors  is  imperative,  else  they 
may  even  find  themselves  in  the  diffi- 
cult position  of  having  no  films  to  ex- 
hibit at  all,  since  the  theatre  chains 
affiliated  with  producer  - distributors 
may  have  to  start  draining  their  own 
product  to  the  full  if  a dwindling  in  the 
flow  of  films  appears  likely. 

Months  Ahead  Critical 

CJ  Box  office  returns  during  the  next 
few  months  will  tell  the  tale,  he  main- 
tains. If  the  income  is  not  sufficient, 
producers  will  have  to  realign  invest- 
ments, and  this  curtailment  is  likely  to 
result  in  lessened  quality  as  well  as 
quantity  of  output.  There  be  some 
theatre-owners  who  “don’t  have  the 
slightest  conception  of  our  problems,  ” 
believes  Silverstone. 

Exhibitors,  however,  viewing  with 
vexation  the  heady  Hollywood  salaries 
— still  heady,  despite  magnanimous  sal- 
ary cuts  — and  piqued  by  a market 
flooded  with  dull  quickies,  will  not 
take  kindly  to  the  gentleman’s  admoni- 
tion. So  it  goes,  round  and  round. 

Mo  Wax  Sits  In 

CJ  The  best  reflection  of  the  independ- 
ent exhibitor’s  outlook  is  to  be  found 
in  the  editorials  of  Mo  Wax  in  his 
Film  Bulletin.  Recently  he  cited  the 
attitude  of  exhibitors  at  a meeting  he 
attended  of  the  Allied  unit  of  independ- 
ent exhibitors  in  Philadelphia.  Unani- 
mously they  voted  to  seek  elimination 
of  dual  bills  in  their  territory.  How  it 
is  to  be  done  perplexes  them,  though. 

Says  one  exhibitor.  “The  chain 
house  in  my  neighborhood  milks  the 
good  ones  dry  and  leaves  the  others 
clear  for  me  — but  who  wants  to  see 
the  others  l When  I play  some  of  those 
’dogs’  as  singles.  I hide  in  my  office 
for  fear  the  few  patrons  will  demand 
their  money  back.  At  least,  two  fea- 
tures is  a bargain  and  nobody  expects 
much  quality  in  a bargain  basement. 

Urged  to  Take  a Stand 

•J  Another  exhibitor  says  he  paid 
$2,000  last  season  for  films  he  did  not 
show.  Eventually  passage  of  the  Neely 
Bill  will  substantially  solve  these  prob- 
lems of  industrial  maladjustment.  In 
(Continued  on  page  12) 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


'film  IfluAic  and  Jlfo  tftakete  BRUNO  DAVID  USSHER 


Peace  On  Earth 

CjJ  Christmas  season  and  the  shocking 
turn  of  events  abroad  lend  timeliness  to 
a one-reel  MGM  cartoon.  Peace  On 
Earth,  in  which  Scott  Bradley  has  inter- 
woven various  carols  in  an  engaging 
manner.  As  in  his  earlier  cartoon  scores, 
Bradley  uses  musical  effects  wherever  he 
can  in  place  of  mere  physical  sound,  as 
he  has  done  so  cleverly  in  a short  color- 
cartoon,  The  Goldfish.  How  well  the 
industry  thinks  of  Peace  On  Earth — 
produced  by  Hugh  Harman,  who  is  in 
charge  of  MGM’s  cartoon  department 
and  writes  most  of  the  "action ”— is  in- 
dicated by  the  fact  that  this  short  will 
precede  Gone  With  the  Wind  when  that 
super-spectacle  is  world-premiered  at  At- 
lanta. Locally  it  will  be  released  next 
week.  I believe  cartoons,  calling  as  they 
do  for  continuous  music  background, 
will  have  a definite  effect  on  the  amount 
of  music  in  full  length  pictures. 

In  Peace  On  Earth  the  only  non-mu- 
sical sound,  apart  from  dialogue,  is  the 
crashing  of  shells.  Once  or  twice  the 
street  carols,  when  heard  in  the  squirrel 
home,  should  sound  less  loud  than  out- 
doors, but  that  is  a small  matter.  Brad- 
ley’s craftsmanship  in  musical  minia- 
tures is  exemplified  once  more.  For  in- 
stance, he  uses  nothing  but  a low  viola 
tremolo  over  deeply  beating  kettle-drums 
as  the  last  two  men  in  the  world  die  in 
battle.  As  they  sink  down  even  the 
violas  cease  and  finally  even  the  drums 
merge  into  a silence  that  grows  tense, 
although  it  lasts  but  ten  seconds. 

No  need  to  mention  the  fine  use 
of  English  horn,  celeste,  trumpet  and 
strings.  The  various  carols  can  be  easily 
recognized.  None  of  Bradley’s  one-reel 
scores  exceels  425-450  measures,  accord- 
ing to  the  tempo.  But  they  embody  an 
amount  of  feeling  and  skill  to  warrant 
giving  him  screen  credit.  What  would 
a cartoon  be  without  music ? 

* * * 

Thanks  to  Two  Stones 

•J  This  is  to  give  thanks  to  two 

"stones,"  Producer  - Director  Andrew 

Stone  for  his  newest  musical,  The  Great 
Victor  Herbert,  and  to  the  music  de- 
partment chief,  Louis  Lipstone,  for 

watching  over  so  finely-balanced,  well- 
sounding a recording.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  from  Paramount.  I am  grateful  to 
Producer  Stone  for  his  continued  faith 
in  "musicals"  of  an  order  in  which  mar, 
ried  people  quarrel  about  something  else 
than  a pair  of  glamor  Tegs  belonging  to 
a third  party.  I see  that  some  of  the 
Los  Angeles  reviewers  think  the  plot — 
which  I will  not  tell — -a  little  familiar. 
What  of  it?  Life  is  that  way.  in  Holly- 
wood of  all  places,  where  congenial  men 


and  women  agree  to  separate  because  of 
career  reasons. 

The  picture  is  staged  most  faithfully 
with  due  regard  for  all  the  mohair-cov- 
ered tastes  and  horsehair  - upholstered 
manners  of  the  better  middle-class.  The 
now  historic  ugliness  of  fashion  and 
broad-tracked  emotions  of  that  time  are 
well  preserved  visually  and  musically. 
It  would  have  been  tempting  to  make 
Herbert’s  music  a little  spicier  than  it  is, 
in  keeping  with  present  jitterizations, 
but  the  two  "corner  'stones'  ” of  the 
production  rested  firmly  in  their  faith 
in  the  original. 

Many  Melodies 

t|  Some  thirty  of  Herbert's  finest  melo- 
dies are  embodied  in  a score  accompanied 
by  the  following  credits  in  addition  to 
Lipstone’s  name:  music  supervisor,  Phil- 
ip Boutelje:  scorer.  Arthur  Lange:  vocal 
arrangements,  Max  Terr:  dance  num- 
bers, Leroy  Prinz:  orchestral  conductor, 
Arthur  Kay.  There  is  a great  deal  of 
singing,  almost  too  much  singing  in  a 
picture  of  medium  length.  One  is  par- 
ticularly glad  to  hear  again  Allan  Jones, 
who  has  done  so  well  for  MGM  and  for 
whom  that  studio  did  less  well  by  not 
finding  proper  assignments.  Paramount 
introduces  two  new  women  singers, 
Mary  Martin,  a really  fine  artist  vocally, 
possessing  a lovely  mezzo  soprano,  and 
young  Susanna  Foster,  heralded  becausp 
of  her  high  notes.  Singing  in  general 
could  have  been  emotionally  more  alive. 
I like  light  moods  to  be  exhilarating, 
with  a little  more  abandon  of  expres- 
sion. 

Allan  Jones  is  still  the  best  tenor  on 
the  screen.  His  voice  sounded  well,  his 
tones  darker  of  timbre  than  usual,  which 
may  have  been  the  result  of  observant 
sound  engineering,  whereby  his  and  the 
Martin  voice  blended  effectively.  Those 
who  like  altitudinous  tones  will  applaud 
Susanna  Foster,  shild  soprano  of  very 
fine  means,  which,  I hope,  she  retains. 
She  is  a "find,"  no  doubt,  but  she  her- 
self can  find  yet  better  enunciation.  It 
is  an  all-Herbert  score  and  the  Herbert 
fans  will  glory  in  it,  even  though  in  his 
buxom  days  the  popular  Irish-American 
lord  of  melodies  was  not  quite  so  sol- 
emn a personage  as  exemplified  here.  A 
great  picture  for  Herbert  fans. 

* * :}c 

Hurrah  for  Destry 

<1  And  hurrah  for  horse  opera,  as  the 
Westerns  are  called  sometimes  in  good- 
natured  spirit  of  mockery.  Universal's 
Destry  Rides  Again  is  full  of  the  most 
sage-brush-scented  tunes  and  songy  tin- 
kle of  the  range  heard  since  Wanger's 
Stage  Coach.  It  speaks  irresistibly  to 
my  fugue-infested  ears.  Frank  Skinner 


has  not  only  chosen  the  right  type  of 
music  for  this  fun-and-gun  crowded 
saga  of  the  raucously  living  prairie  me- 
tropolis of  Bottleneck:  he  has  managed 
to  make  it  into  something  as  essentially 
atmospheric  as  the  settings  themselves. 
George  Marshall,  who  directed  the  pic- 
ture, evidently  let  him  have  his  way, 
and  Music  Director  Charles  Previn  suc- 
ceeded in  balancing  the  roaring  and 
whooping  of  vociferous  Bottleneckcrs 
(which  is  what  their  prototypes  must 
have  been)  with  the  music. 

The  faint  banjo  strumming  coming 
from  the  saloon  downstairs  while  a des- 
perate card  game  is  being  played  for  a 
man’s  ranch  upstairs,  is  quite  telling. 
And  there  is  the  tough  singing  of  that 
brazen  Jezebel  of  Bottleneck,  none  other 
than  Marlene  Dietrich.  If  one  recalls 
her  velvety,  purring  songs  in  The  Blue 
Angel,  then  one  will  award  her  a prize 
for  vocal  realism  now  that  she  waves  her 
frontier-parched  voice  with  a broad  glare 
like  a red  and  coarse-cottoned  bandana. 
At  first  I thought  she  sounded  a bit  too 
"torchy"  and  modern  of  tone  in  a pic- 
ture so  evidently  of  a period  when  Gree- 
ley (or  was  it  Dana?)  advised  young 
men  to  go  west.  She  sings  three  songs: 
Little  Joe  the  Wrangler,  The  Boys  In 
the  Back  Room  and  You've  Got  I hat 
Look,  quite  of  the  old  ballad  type,  es- 
pecially the  first  two.  Frank  Loesser 
wrote  the  lyrics  and  Felix  Hollaender. 
he  of  the  kid-gloved,  patent-leathered 
society  picture,  scores  the  music.  1 hey 
knocked  the  spots  off  ’em  with  their 
team  work,  just  as  Destry  when  he 
chose  to  shoot. 

ijc 

Enter:  La  Massey 

<]|  Operating  on  the  plausible  principle 
that  nothing  succeeds  like  success.  Holly- 
wood is  opening  its  doors  wide  to  sing- 
ers, so-called  "musicals,”  as  screen-op- 
erettas are  called,  finding  new  vogues 
with  the  men  in  charge  of  production 
policies.  This  renewed  trend  in  favor 
of  singing  stars  may  be  attributed  to 
MGM’s  consistent  policy  in  that  direc- 
tion. RKO  and  20th  Century-Fox  have 
fairly  steadily  kept  up  the  race  for  mu- 
sical comedy  honors  on  the  screen. 
MGM  is  about  to  release  Balalaika,  fea- 
turing Ilona  Massey  as  the  female  lead 
for  vocal  laurels  on  the  Culver  City  lot. 
I have  pinned  my  faith  on  her  since  she 
sang  something  not  important  in  the 
super-terrific  Rosalie  of  lamentable  col- 
ossality.  I am  preening  myself  since  be- 
ing told  that  Ernest  Lubitsch  considers 
La  Massey  (which  is  not  the  real  name 
of  the  Hungarian  artist) , "the  best,  big- 
gest and  most  vivid  singing-acting  tal- 
ent in  Hollywood."  And  Lubitsch 
should  know.  Indeed,  my  informant 


DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


says.  Lubitsch  wants  to  solo-star  Made- 
moiselle Illona  as  soon  as  she  has  ful- 
filled his  immediate  two-picture  contract 
for  United  Artists. 

* * * 

Gentle  and  Yet  More 

Background  music  for  We  Are  Not 
Alone  demonstrates  engagingly  that  mu- 
sic need  not  be  heavy  of  touch  to  be 
emotionally  emphatic.  Comooser  Max 
Steiner  and  his  orchestrator.  Hugo  Fried- 
hofer,  have  emulated  with  artistic  fidel- 
ity the  general  deftness  of  touch  with 
which  Producer-Director  Henry  Blanke 
has  bared  human  tragedy  in  this  pic- 
ture. It  is  a story  of  a good  man  crush- 
ed between  the  coarse  and  inexorable 
milestones  of  small-town  convention, 
and  hard-hearted  propriety  which  turns 
real  human  decency  into  murder  of  soul 
and  body.  It  is  a deadly  conflict  be- 
tween human  natures  too  far  apart  to 
come  to  terms. 

It  is  the  story  of  the  trial  and  the 
doom  of  people  who  do  not  belong  to- 
gether, and  whose  pitiful,  guiltless  fail- 
ures are  judged  traditionally  by  a court 
of  public  opinion  and  law,  instead  of 
being  tended  by  psychiatrists.  All  this 
has  been  taken  into  account  by  Steiner, 
who  writes  tenderly,  using  bits  of  folk 
songs,  of  Mozart,  Haydn  and  Schubert, 
if  memory  does  not  fail  me.  Quite  per- 
sonally speaking,  I do  not  relish  the  ob- 
vious change  of  Kommt  a Vogerl  into 
a dirge  when  the  victims  of  unaware- 
ness are  sentenced  to  die.  I liked  greatly 
the  merry-go-round  background  music 
for  the  scene  of  quiet  conversation  be- 
tween the  doctor  and  the  girl.  On  oth- 
er occasions,  too,  Steiner  has  written 
apart  from  the  visual  scene,  and  with 
notable  results  of  suggestion. 

* * * 

More  Than  Effective 

•I  Albert  Sendrey's  background  score 
for  Whirlpool  of  Desire  (shown  at  Cin- 
ema Arts  T heatre)  makes  me  curious  to 
know  other  music  he  has  written  for 
the  screen.  The  whole  film  leaves  much 
to  the  imagination  in  the  best  sense  of 
the  word.  The  music  hints  at  what  is 
going  on  in  the  hearts  of  the  chief  per- 
sonages. Sendrey  never  waxes  complex 
musically.  He  does  exhibit  himself  in 
that  part  of  film-dramatic  no-man’s 
land  which  the  author.  Peggy  Thomp- 
son, leaves  undescribed  as  far  as  actual 
dialogue  goes. 

At  times,  dialogue  is  duly  laconic  and 
music  adds  what  need  not  be  said  in  so 
many  words.  Occasionally  I missed  the 
help  of  orchestral  underscoring.  Very 
neat  is  the  sequence  of  the  inspection  of 
the  dam.  when  a waltz  is  made  to  serve 
also  as  a tone  picture  for  unseen  men  and 
engineers  at  work.  The  waltz  serves  as 
one  of  the  emotionally  significant  key 
themes,  but  I could  have  wished  for 
something  strong  musically  to  accom- 
pany the  symbolic  shots  of  turbulent 
water  which  allegorize  visually  the  tur- 


moil in  a human  soul.  It  is  a well  re- 
corded and  engagingly  simple  score 
which  definitely  aids  the  picture.  The 
composer,  a Los  Angeles  man.  confirms 
my  suspicions  that  the  score  was  cut 
when  the  picture  was  re-edited  in  Amer- 
ica. Sendrey  bears  watching. 

j}i  SJ1  5«C 

Lovely  Voice 

PERHAPS  it  is  MGM  studio  policy  to 
keep  lyric  soprano  Florence  George 
sound-tight,  at  least  as  far  as  the  screen 
is  concerned.  Perhaps  the  Georgean 
state  of  “protective  custody"  is  the  re- 
sult of  story-differences  of  opinion.  I 
have  been  told  that  fully  half  a dozen 
tales  have  been  proposed,  but  no  quorum 
could  be  reached  among  those  who  de- 
cided the  filmic  fates  of  the  fair  singer. 
Which  is  a pity.  La  George  (in  private 
life  Mrs.  Everett  Crosby),  however,  is 
not  letting  any  grass  grow  under  her  . . . 
vocal  chords.  She  is  working  daily  with 
vocal  maestro  Charles  Dalmores  and 
coach-pianist  Sylvan  Breen. 

Bennett  Returns 

<](  Russell  Bennett,  for  years  arranger 
and  orchestral  collaborater  with  Jerome 
Kern,  is  back  from  New  York  City 
where  Very  Warm  for  May,  the  new 
Kern-Hammerstein  musicale,  was  con- 
sidered warm  enough  also  for  New  York 
in  November.  I watched  him  listening 
to  the  orchestra  rehearse  a quite  difficult 
sequence,  looking  a bit  quizzical  and 
pained  and  pleased  in  turn.  The  se- 
quence was  from  Bluebird  and  the  high- 
ly atmospheric  orchestration  by  Conrad 
Salinger,  for  the  last  several  years  staff  - 
orchestrator  at  Twentieth  Century-Fox. 
* * * 

Mr.  Malotte's  Luck 

Cfl  Considering  that  Albert  Hay  Ma- 
lotte’s  songs  (a  whole  group  of  them, 
old  and  new  ones)  have  been  sung  by 
John  Charles  Thomas  at  Carnegie  Hall 
and  on  tour,  I am  not  surprised  that 
Malotte  will  do  the  songs  the  baritone 
sings  in  Kingdom  Come,  which  Sig 
Schlager  is  producing  for  Producers’ 
Corporation.  Schirmer  is  publishing 
five  new  Malotte  chansons:  Among  the 
Living,  a timely  lullaby,  which  I pre- 
dict will  be  heard  much.  (It  will  be  on 
the  Tibbett  tour  program).  One,  Two 
7 hree  was  written  for  Nelson  Eddy, 
whose  tour  program  includes  another 
Malotte  novelty:  Melody  of  My  Love. 
The  other  two  titles  are  Miracle  and 
The  Poor  Old  Man. 

Malotte  has  also  sold  to  Schirmer’s  a 
piano  piece:  Chanson  Pastorale.  He  is  a 
versatile,  genuine  melodist  whose  top- 
hits  includes  such  contrasted  topics  as 
Perdinand  the  Bull  (for  Disney)  and 
23rd  Psalm.  Malotte  just  wrote  part  of 
the  music  of  Paramount’s  Dr.  Cyclops. 
I have  had  faith  in  him  since  Gertrude 
Ross,  when  ballet  committee  chairman 
for  the  Hollywood  Bowl,  produced  his 
Red  Riding  Hood  score  with  La  Gam 


tarelli  dancing.  I think  Schlager  made 
a good  choice  in  Malotte.  The  public 
is  welcoming  more  sensitive  background 
music  for  underscoring  of  film.  It  will 
enjoy  a change  from  song-tunes,  most 
of  which  are  written  with  an  eye  on 
dance  band  royalties.  A change  from 
hoofing  to  real  heart  tunes  would  be 
nice. 

Iisro  end  There 

<1  Producer  Lee  Garmes  has  signed 
Frank  Tours  as  musical  director  for 
And  So  Goodby  at  RKO.  Tours  will 
later  work  at  Kingdom  Come. 

Aaron  Copland  expects  to  finish  his 
score  for  the  Hal  Roach-Milestone  film 
Of  Mice  and  Men.  by  the  middle  of 
next  month.  Irvin  Talbot  will  conduct 
the  recordings.  He  does  most  of  them 
at  Paramount  when  composers  are  bet- 
ter with  a pen  than  with  a stick.  Vir- 
ginia Wright  of  the  Daily  News  sized 
up  Copland  well  when  suggesting  that 
20th-Century  Fox  sign  him  to  compose 
background  music  for  Grapes  of  Wrath. 

Werner  Heyman,  former  music  di- 
rector for  UFA  of  Berlin,  is  being  kept 
busy  by  Nat  Finston,  MGM’s  music 
chief.  Heyman  is  at  work  on  two  im- 
portant productions  by  Lubitsch  and 
Saville.  He  also  was  responsible  for 
music  in  Garbo’s  Ninotchka. 

THIS  HOLLYWOOD 

(Continued  from  page  10) 

the  meantime,  though,  what  is  to  be 
done?  Mo  Wax  urges  exhibitor  organi- 
zations to  take  a concerted  stand  and 
serve  notice  now  on  film  exchanges  that 
none  of  their  members  will  contract 
for  more  than  30  features  from  any 
company  next  season.  Producers  would 
have  nearly  a full  season  to  readjust 
their  schedules. 

It  is  impossible  for  any  studio  to 
turn  out  more  than  30  features  of  a 
calibre  worthy  of  being  presented  to 
the  public,  he  contends.  Limitation  to 
this  number  would  result  in  immediate 
improvement  in  the  quality  of  films  in 
general.  Once  quickies  are  eliminated, 
double  bills  will  go  "the  way  of  the 
buffalo."  Public  appetite  for  films 
would  be  revived.  "30  Is  The  Top  — 
And  No  Quickies!"  he  advances  as  a 
slogan  for  next  season's  buying.  Sounds 
pretty  logical. 

* * * 

A FOOLISH  PRODUCTION  WASTE 

Two  Rip  Van  Winkle  productions 
are  to  reach  the  screen,  from  all  ap- 
pearances. Twentieth  Century-Fox  an- 
nounces its  intention  of  making  the 
legend,  despite  an  earlier  announcement 
by  the  independent  Monogram,  which 
plans  to  film  the  tale  as  a piece  de  re- 
sistance, sinking  its  highest  budget  yet 
into  the  production.  Why  not  give  the 
little  fellow  a break? 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


A Plea  and  a Play 

By 

WELFORD  BEATON 

Tells  why  too  much  dialogue  is  box- 
office  poison,  and  demonstrates  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  can  be  reduced. 

An  invaluable  little  volume  for  all 
students  of  the  screen. 


PRICE: 

ONE  DOLLAR 


SPECTATOR 


6513  Hollywood  Boulevard 
Hollywood,  California 


CANTERBURY  — 1746  N. 
Cherokee ; Grace  Charlton, 
manager.  Early  American 
appointments.  Rates  $50 
to  $115  month. 

GRanite  4171 


ST.  GEORGE  — 1245  Vine 
St.;  John  Burke,  manager. 
Near  radio  center.  Singles, 
doubles,  studios.  Rates  $43 
to  $75  month. 

Hollywood  1911 


OLIVER  CROMWELL  — 
418  S.  Normandie,  close-in, 
near  Wilshire  shopping 
center;  Polly  Gregg,  man- 
ager. Rates  $55  to  $90 
month. 

DRexel  2261 


THE  LIDO— 6500  Yucca; 
G.  M.  Strobel,  manager. 
Spacious  lobby,  music 
room,  solarium  ?nd  coffee 
shop.  Rates  $50  to  $135 
month  and  up. 

Hollywood  2961 


MARSDEN— 1745  N.Gram- 
ercy  PI.;  Rue  C.  Arends, 
manager.  Latest  arch itec- 
ture.  Private  balconies. 
Rates  $65  to  $150  month. 

HOIlywood  3981 


FLEUR  DE  LIS 

1825  N.  Whitley  Ave. 
Belle  W rinkle,  Mgr. 

A tastefully  furnished 
imposing  French  Nor- 
ma n c’  y structure,  with 
24-hour  desk  service. 
A good  address  in  the 
heart  of  Hollywood. 
Rates  $50  to  $125. 
Hillside  3121 


The  GRAMERCY 


The  ASBURY 


634  S.  Gramercy  PI. 

Pauline  McKay,  Mgr. 
Just  a half  block  from 
Wilshire  markets, 
shops  and  theatres.  An 
8-story  house  with  roof 
garden,  subterranean 
garage, 24-hour  switch- 
board service.  Bache- 
lor apartsments  from 
$40  u p . 

DRexel  1281 


The  ARMITAGE 

545  S.  Hobart  Ave. 

Mrs.  Bertha  Robinson 
Mgr. 

An  inexpensive  apart- 
ment house,  close  - in 
and  ideal  for  working 
couples  who  wish  econ- 
omy. Singles  and  dou- 
bles priced  fre  m $37.53 
to  $75. 

FEderal  5887 


2505  W.  6th  St. 
Mrs.  M.  K u hi  man 
Mgr. 

12  stories.  Drive  - in 
garage,  sand  sun  deck, 
and  full  hotel  service. 
Dining  room  in  con- 
nection. Near  beautiful 
Westlake  Park.  Rates 
$65  to  $175  and  up. 
Daily  from  $4. 

Exposition  4151 


HOTEL 

APARTMENTS 


ACCOMMODATIONS  BY  DAY.  WEEK.  MONTH 


The  George  Pepperdine 
Foundation  operates  12 
apartment  hotels.  They 
combine  the  service  and 
comforts  of  a hotel  with 
the  informality  of  an 
apartment  and  you  may 
rent  them  by  DAY,  WEEK 
OR  MONTH. 


When  visitors  arrive, 
tell  them  about  these  prop- 
erties and  this  new  IDEA. 
Write  or  phone  for  com- 
plete descriptive  folder. 


PEPPERDINE  FOUNDATION 

■ * * * APARTMENT-HOTELS  * * * 

Ex. nos  » RENTALS  » 2508  W 8th 


DECEMBER  9,  1939 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


BY 

INA  ROBERTS 


/ZcckA  and  JihnA 

Illinois  Parent  and  Teacher  Projects 

Mr.  J.  Kay  White,  chairman  of  the 
Visual  Education  Committee  of  the  Illi- 
nois Congress  of  Parents  and  Teachers, 
when  requesting  that  Spectator  Book- 
Film  Panels  be  loaned  him,  asked  that 
he  might  be  allowed  to  keep  these  an 
extra  three  weeks  in  order  to  display 
them  at  twenty  additional  meetings  at 
which  he  or  one  of  his  committee  was 
scheduled  to  speak.  He  has  since  written 
that  the  panels  have  been  enjoyed  by 
more  than  2000  persons. 

In  response  to  my  request  he  gives  the 
projects  being  developed  by  his  com- 
mittee: 1.  Present  the  meaning  and 

show  the  value  of  such  aids  as  drawings, 
exhibits,  models,  motion  pictures,  etc. 
2.  Encourage  the  establishment  and  pro- 
jection of  state,  regional,  county  and 
city  film  and  slide  libraries.  3.  Assist 
educationoal  institutions  in  sponsoring 
conferences  on  visual  education  and  mo- 
tion pictures.  4.  Organize  clubs  among 
young  people  to  produce  still  and  mo- 
tion pictures  for  public  relations  pro- 
grams. 5.  Promote  the  study  of  motion 
picture  appreciation  and  discrimination 
in  school  and  home  by  suggesting  mo- 
tion picture  courses  as  part  of  curricu- 
lums.  6.  Assist  recreational  groups 
with  visual  type  of  programs.  7.  Read, 
study  and  support  Federal  legislation 
endorsed  by  the  National  Congress  of 
Parents  and  Teachers.  8.  Recommend 
the  establishment  of  courses  on  visual 
education  and  motion  pictures  in  col 
leges  as  an  in-service  training  for  teach- 
ers and  administrators.  9.  Study  local 
school  taxes  and  budgets  and  cooperate 
with  the  Board  of  Education  and  Sup- 
erintendent. 10.  Interest  parents  to  or- 
ganize study  groups  on  vital  subjects. 

Books  and  Films 

We  are  indebted  to  The  Saturday  Re- 
view of  Literature  for  permission  to 
quote  from  an  editorial  in  its  issue  of 
August  26th  entitled  Books  and  Mov- 
ies. "A  correspondent  to  one  of  the 
newspapers  recently  commented  on  the 
fact  that  a New  York  motion  picture 
house  he  attended  had  on  display  a row 
of  books.  It  has  always  seemed  to  us 
that  the  publishers  are  missing  an  op- 
portunity by  not  tying  up  their  works 
more  closely  with  current  product:ons. 
. . . More  and  more  the  film  is  turning 
to  historic  incident  for  its  episode  and 
more  and  more  there  must  be  desire  for 
information  on  the  events  described.” 
The  prevailing  tendency  toward  the 
historic  in  films  proves  also  the  accur- 
acy of  a favorite  saying  of  mine — 
Truth  is  stranger  than  fiction  and  far 
more  interesting.  Were  this  not  so, 
history  would  not  figure  so  prominently 
in  films,  which,  to  win  the  public  must, 
before  all  else,  be  interesting. 


Our  Book-Film  Panels 

5J  On  November  28th  an  exhibit  of  the 
Spectator  Book-Film  Panels  was  on  view 
at  a meeting  of  the  Opera  and  Fine  Arts 
Club  of  Los  Angeles  (Mrs.  J.  F.  Ander- 
son, president).  The  occasion  was  a so- 
cial and  program  affair  held  in  the  ball- 
room of  the  Royal  Palms  Hotel.  The 
panels  shown  aroused  much  interest. 
The  films  featured  were  Danger  Flight. 
Disputed  Passage.  Drums  Along  the  Mo- 
hawk, Five  Little  Peppers  and  How 
They  Grew.  The  Great  Victor  Herbert. 
Gulliver's  Travels.  The  Hunchback  of 
Notre  Dame,  The  Light  Fhat  Failed. 
Mr.  Smith  Goes  to  Washington.  Pri- 
vate Lives  of  Elizabeth  and  Essex.  Rul- 
ers of  the  Sea,  Seventeen.  Swiss  Family 
Robinson.  Tower  of  London  and  We 
Are  Not  Alone. 

The  Spectator  Book  - Film  Panels 
(28"x22")  are  loaned  free  to  gatherings 
of  film  groups,  libraries  and  schools. 
Those  borrowing  the  panels  are  request- 
ed to  prepay  return  expressage.  The 
panels  consist  of  film  stills  and  jackets 
of:  1.  The  book  filmed  (if  any).  2. 
Books  by  the  same  author.  3.  Books 
connecting  with  the  film  through  sub- 
ject. Unless  more  are  especially  request- 
ed, three  panels  are  loaned  at  a time. 
When  requesting  panels,  write  to  Mrs. 
Ina  Roberts.  Books  and  Films  Depart- 
ment, The  Hollywood  Spectator.  6513 
Hollywood  Boulevard,  Hollywood,  Cal- 
ifornia. 


The  Dark  Command 

<|  Now  in  production  is  Republic's  Dark 
Command,  said  to  surpass  even  Man  of 
Conquest.  This  film  will  picture  the 
life  of  William  Quantrell  and  his  rebel- 
lion. John  Wayne,  Claire  Trevor.  Wal- 
ter Pidgeon.  Roy  Rogers,  Marjorie  Main 
and  George  Hayes  head  the  cast. 

More  Juvenile  Classics 

•I  I am  quoting  from  Mrs.  Thomas  G. 
Winter's  valuable  notes,  "Out  from  the 
Studios”  in  giving  you  the  following 
facts  about  the  filmed  version  of  Maeter- 
linck's Bluebird,  in  which  Shirley  Tem- 
ple will  star.  Mrs.  Winter  writes:  “Most 
fascinating  is  the  set  contrived  to  build 
illusion  for  'The  Land  of  the  Future.’ 
It  will  have  the  appearance  of  being  sus- 
pended in  mid  air,  its  ethereal  beauty 

r W V * V W W V TTTTTTTT- 

PAMPHLETS 

SLOGANS  THAT  CIRCUtATE  BOOKS 
LIBRARY  RADIO  PUBLICITY 
V/HEN  BOOKS  AND  MOVIES  MEET 

(A  guide  to  book-film  cooperation) 

...  25c  EACH  ... 

Send  Orders  to:  INA  ROBERTS 
946  South  Magnolia  Avenue 
Los  Angeles,  California 

> A A*  *.+.*.*.  ■*. 


stretching  out  into  unlimited  space.  Part 
of  the  set  is  in  the  shape  of  a swan  with 
great  wing  sails  stretching  high  into  the 
sky.”  The  dream  sequences  of  the  film 
are  in  color. 

Little  Orvie 

*J  Another  juvenile  classic  in  production 
or  soon  to  be,  is  Little  Orvie.  made  from 
the  story  by  Booth  Tarkington.  Cast 
in  this  is  Johnny  Sheffield,  the  adorable 
seven-year-old  boy  who  was  seen  in 
Tarzan  Finds  a Son.  The  plot  centers 
around  the  neighborhood  adventures  of 
a harum-scarum  boy  who  upsets  com- 
munity routine  with  his  never-say-die 
efforts  to  acquire  a dog  in  the  face  of 
parental  opposition. 

1.000,000  B.  C. 

1 ,000,000  B.  C.,  now  in  production 
at  Hal  Roach  studios,  promises  to  be  a 
film  that  is  "different.”  Part  of  the  pic- 
ture is  being  filmed  in  Fire  Valley,  Ne- 
vada. The  location  seems  especially  ap- 
propriate since  the  camp  fire  ashes  of  the 
early  Fire  Valley  folk  have  been  cold  for 
hundreds  of  centuries.  Palentologists 
have  found  Fire  Valley  a happy  hunting 
ground.  Remains  of  Giant  Ground 
Sloths  and  other  extinct  mammals,  also 
traces  of  earlier  dinosaurs  have  been  ex- 
cavated and  are  on  exhibition  in  mu- 
seums. A small  institution  near  Over- 
ton  has  many  of  the  Valley’s  fossil 
yield.  Some  of  the  vanished  monsters 
revived  on  the.  screen  once  roamed  this 
same  sector,  beasts  like  Tynannosaurus, 
Triceratops  and  the  Mastodon. 

I Married  Adventure 

<J  From  the  monster  mammals  of  pre- 
historic times  to  the  wild  animals  of  to- 
day pictured  in  coming  film,  I Married 
Adventure,  is  a far  cry  in  time.  This 
picture,  filmed  entirely  in  Africa,  cli- 
maxes twenty  years  of  adventure  of  Osa 
(Mrs.  Martin)  Johnson  in  the  dark 
continent.  Forty-two  specimens  of  wild 
life  were  trapped  by  the  camera  for  this 
film.  The  book,  "I  Married  Adven- 
ture,” by  Mrs.  Johnson,  will  be  pub- 
lished next  month  by  the  J.  B.  Lippin- 
cott  Company. 


The  Bookplate 


AN  IDEAL  CHRISTMAS 
BIRTHDAY  OR 
ANNIVERSARY  PRESENT 


DESIGNS  MADE  TO  ORDER  BY 


533  S.  St.  Andrews,  Los  Angeles 


EX. 9105 


PAGE  FOURTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


jqneofT&ftmticn 

2atW£WS 


YOUTH.  GLAMOUR 

ihe  Stauffer  System  is  fast  talcing  its 
place  as  the  modern  way  to  condition- 
ing. Relaxation,  rest  and  reducing  are 
attained  in  an  automatic  massage  that  is 
more  natural  in  its  effect  than  are  old, 
out-worn  methods  which  consume  time 
and  tire  muscles. 


Read  what  the  editor  of  the 
Spectator,  Weiford  Beaton, 
said  in  the  October  28  issue 
of  his  publication: 


. . Since  then  I have  been  using  the  table  at  four  fifteen-minute 
intervals  a day.  . . . Fifteen  minutes  on  this  table  is  equivalent  to  a 
three-mile  walk  in  its  effect.  And  while  you  are  on  the  table  you  enjoy 
a complete  rest.  I go  to  sleep  on  it  and  wake  up  only  when  it  stops  . . . 
even  for  entirely  healthy  people  it  is  indispensible  if  once  tried.  As  a 
reducer  it  certainly  is  a success." 


Telephone:  DRexel  4000 

The  Stauffer  System 

4359  West  Third  Street 
Near  Third  and  Western 


Courtesy  Parking  In  Rear 


Cl,  ech  an  d d£)ou ife-ch ecli  ! 


. ^ XMAS  GIFTS 

^ FOR  THE  MAN 

For  your  convenience,  here  is  your  "Gift 
Calculator."  Whether  you  spend  much  or 
little  for  HIS  gift,  give  HIM  something 
useful,  something  to  wear. 

The  Harry  Dine  label  is  a sign  of  quality 
without  added  cost! 


around 

Handmade  Neckwear 
Interwoven  Sox 
Crew  Neck  Shirts 

Cjifts  around 

Hickok  Lucky  KoiNife 
Sleeveless  Sweaters 
Manhattan  Shirts 

v' 

Cjijts  around 

Flannel  Sport  Shirts 
Disney  Hats 
Mellow  Silk  Pajamas 

Cjijts  around 

"Robinhood"  Hats 
Rogue  Flannel  Shirts 
Wool  Robes 

(jif ^ around 

Men's  Sport  Slacks 
Flannel  Dressing  Robes 
Shetland  Leisure  Jackets 

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Chevrita  Suede  Jackets 
Polo  Cloth  Jackets 

Cjijts  around 

Silk  Dressing  Gowns 
Camel  Wool  Jackets 

Cjijls  around 

Tweed  Sport  Coats 

$1.00 

Ty-Master  Tie  Rack 
Hand  Carved  Animals 
Silk  Square  Scarfs 

$2.50 

Manhattan  Pajamas 
Buxton  Bill  Folds 
Kent  Tweed  Brushes 

$5.00 

Washable  Wool  Sweaters 
Tux  Link  and  Stud  Sets 
Loafer  Jackets 

$7.50 

Challis  Sport  Shirts 
Byrd  Cloth  Jackets 
Hunting  and  Fishing  Jackets 

$10.00 

Poker  Chip  Sets 

Pure  Dye  Silk  Pajamas 

Chamois  Front  Sweaters 

$12.50 

Gabardine  Zipper  Jackets 
Cashmere  Sweaters 

$15.00 

Trench  Coats 

Reversible  Gabardine  Jackets 

$25.00 

Silk  Robes 


^ Qfh  $40.00  and  over 

Suit  Gift  Bond  Tuxedo  Gift  Bond 

Overcoat  Gift  Bond  Reversible  Top  Coats 


f^arnj  Bine 

6 7 0 6 HOLLY  WO O D BOULEVARD 

Adjoining  Egyptian  Theatre  ° GRanite  2721 

OPEN  EVENINGS  . FREE  PARKING 

HiTHE  SHOP  FOR  MEN  ■■ 


20  CENTS 


REVIEWED 
(Page  3) 


The  Light  That  Failed  it 

The  Earl  of  Chicago  ★ 

Charlie  McCarthy,  Detective 
Thou  Shalt  Not  Kill 


Raffles  k Of  Mice  and  Men 

Swanee  River  ★ Invisible  Stripes 

k Everything  Happens  at  Night 
k G ulliver's  Travels 


SPECTATOR 


Every  Other  Week 


Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 


Fourteenth  Year 


Los  Angeles,  California,  January  6,  1940 


Vol.  14— No.  19 


DAVID  OLIVER  SELZNICK 
The  Great  Picture  Producer  Who  Made  of 
“Gone  With  the  Wind" 

The  Screen's  Greatest  Achievement 


EDITOR'S  SECRETARY  EXPLAINS 


HOLLYWOOD  S 
years,  $8;  foreign,  $6. 

PAGE  TWO 


1 AM  Mr.  Beaton's  secretary.  I take  his  dictation, 
* which  is  fast;  I transcribe  his  handwriting,  which  is 
awful;  I try  to  make  him  keep  his  appointments,  which 
is  impossible;  he  says  I boss  him,  which  is  ridiculous; 
even  the  combined  bossing  attempts  of  Mrs.  Specta- 
tor and  me  have  proved  futile. 

Mr.  Beaton  has  gone  away  with  Mrs.  Spectator  for 
two  weeks.  He  left  a note  on  my  typewriter:  "You've 
copied  enough  of  my  stuff  to  be  able  to  fill  the  'Easy 
Chair'  pages  yourself.  Go  to  it.  And  don't  dare  send 
any  mail  to  me,  telephone  me  or  telegraph  me  before 
we  get  back  from  where  you  don't  know  we're  going." 

Fancy  that!  Fancy  my  writing  about  pictures  I 
don't  have  time  to  see!  What  do  I know  about  too 
much  dialogue,  too  loud  reading  of  dialogue,  filmic 
motion,  screen  art,  whether  this  or  that  picture  will 
be  good  box-office,  and  all  the  other  things  my  boss 
is  always  writing  about? 

I could  write  something  about  a perfectly  gorgeous 
gown  I saw  in  Harry  Cooper's  window  on  Hollywood 
Boulevard.  It  is  an  evening  gown  of  blue  chiffon  with 
a wide  silver  sequin  girdle.  With  a white  fox  cape  it 
would  make  a perfectly  divine  outfit  with  which  to 
slay  my  boy  friend  on  New  Year's  Eve. 

Or  I might  write  some  choice  gossip.  Did  you  hear 
about  the  star's  wife  who — 

No,  Mr.  Beaton  would  not  like  that. 

I think  the  "Easy  Chair"  readers  will  have  to  wait 
until  the  Editor  gets  back.  It  will  be  in  time  for  the 
next  Spectator. — Grace. 


ECTATOR  published  bi-weekly  at  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spectator  Co.,  6513  Hollywood  Blvd. ; phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price,  $5  the  year;  two 
Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter.  September  23.  1938.  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1879. 

HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


ue  Otted  £cck  £ike 

; j ■■ 

a Colman  In 


Best  Performance 

THE  LIGHT  THAT  FAILED,  Paramount 

Producer-director William  A.  Wellman 

Screen  play Robert  Carson 

Based  on  the  novel  by  Rudyard  Kipling 

Director  of  photography:  Theodor  Sparkuhl, 

ASC. 

Art  direction Hans  Dreier,  Robert  Odell 

Editor  Thomas  Scott 

Music  score Victor  Young 

Interior  decorations  A.  E.  Freudeman 

Cast:  Ronald  Colman,  Walter  Huston,  Muriel 
Angelus,  Ida  Lupino,  Dudley  Digges,  Ernest 
Cossart,  Ferike  Boros,  Pedro  de  Cordoba,  Colin 
Tapley,  Fay  Helm,  Ronald  Sinclair,  Sarita 
Wooton,  Halliwell  Hobbes,  Charles  Irwin, 
Francis  McDonald,  George  Regas,  Wilfred 
Roberts. 

Reviewed  by  W.  B. 

ONE  to  put  on  your  list  of  pictures  to 
see.  As  a story  it  will  interest  you, 
and  as  an  example  of  brilliant  screen 
craftsmanship  it  will  please  you  greatly. 
It  has  many  excellent  qualities,  but  the 
two  which  stand  out  are  the  perform- 
ance of  Ronald  Colman  and  the  direc- 
tion of  William  Wellman.  As  a whole 
it  is  a psychological  study  made  enter- 
taining by  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
presented.  Ronald  proves  ideal  casting 
for  the  leading  part,  that  of  a soldier- 
artist  who  loses  his  eyesight  after  he 
ceases  to  be  soldier  and  becomes  wholly 
an  artist.  It  is  his  reaction  to  this  great 
affliction  which  makes  the  picture  so 
engrossingly  dramatic. 

As  I recall  those  I can  of  the  roles 
Ronald  Colman  has  played  in  the  past 
dozen  years,  I would  rate  his  Light 
That  Failed  performance  as  the  finest, 
most  discerning  and  powerful  he  has 
given  us.  In  this  picture  he  still  is  the 
pleasant  gentleman,  a quality  he  retains 
even  when  he  is  on  the  border  of  be- 
coming a drunkard,  but  he  adds  to 
it  a realization  of  dramatic  values  which 
strengthens  his  standing  as  one  of  the 
most  accomplished  actors. 

Wellman  Excels  Himself 


is  leaving  the  room  in  which  he  has 
been  visiting  Ronald;  as  he  reaches  the 
door,  a mirror  on  the  wall  beside  it 
picks  up  Ronald,  thus  making  the  scene 
complete  without  resort  to  a camera 
change.  Another  striking  contribution 
by  Wellman  is  the  manner  in  which  he 
makes  us  believe  we  are  looking  at  real 
people  living  their  lives,  not  actors  play- 
ing parts. 

Robert  Carson's  screen  play  is  an 
able  bit  of  writing,  even  though  it  is  a 
bit  slow  in  giving  us  a clue  to  the  di- 
rection in  which  the  story  is  heading. 
It  will  be  clear  to  those  who  are  familiar 
with  Kipling's  original,  but  others  will 
be  in  doubt  until  the  element  of  im- 
pending blindness  which  is  to  afflict  the 
artist  begins  to  take  form.  It  is  a som- 
ber story  coming  at  a time  when  the 
world  is  somber,  a factor  which  may 
effect  the  box-office  fate  of  the  picture 
in  spite  of  its  dramatic  power  and  hu- 
man appeal. 

Noteworthy  Performances 

<1  With  such  direction  as  Wellman 
gives,  only  excellent  performances  could 
be  expected.  Walter  Huston,  Ida  Lu- 
pino, Dudley  Digges,  Ernest  Cossart 
are  to  be  credited  with  fine  work  which 
is  equalled  in  fineness  by  those  who 
play  the  lesser  parts.  The  picture  pre- 
sents us  with  a newcomer  in  the  person 
of  Muriel  Angelus,  who  here  makes  her 
American  film  debut,  and  an  auspicious 
debut  it  proves  to  be.  Cossart  plays 
"Beeton,”  Ronald  s servant,  and  the 
first  time  Ronald  called  his  name  loud- 
ly, I stood  up. 

Theodor  Sparkuhl  s photography  is 
of  fine  quality,  and  all  the  other  tech- 
nical contributions  to  the  picture  are  of 
equally  high  standard. 

Recommended  to  students  of  the 
screen  as  a valuable  study  in  film  crafts- 
manship. Note  the  quiet  simplicity  with 
which  dramatic  climaxes  are  built  to. 
and  the  believable  humanness  of  all  the 
characters.  Scarcely  for  children;  no 
sacrifice  of  good  taste,  and  exhibitors 
can  promise  their  patrons  Ronald  Col- 
man's  best  performance. 


<1  William  Wellman’s  direction  is  mas- 
terly, revealing  a power  he  previously 
had  not  attained.  He  is  equally  com- 
pelling in  mass  shots  and  intimate 
scenes,  in  the  latter  being  particularly 
adept  in  establishing  characterizations 
and  advancing  the  story  by  subtle  ges- 
tures, glances,  composition  and  move- 
ment. In  no  instance  does  he  resort  to 
established  screen  conventions  or  lay 
himself  open  to  the  charge  of  having 
done  something  because  it  always  has 
been  done  that  way.  One  interesting 
shot  is  that  in  which  Walter  Huston 


Montgomery  Film 

Peculiar  Indeed 

THE  EARL  OF  CHICAGO,  MGM 
Producer  Victor  Saville 

Director  Richard  Thorpe 

Screen  play Lesser  Samuels 

Story  Charles  de  Grandcourt,  Gene  Fowler 

Book  Brock  Williams 

Musical  score  Werner  R.  Heymann 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 


Director  of  photography Ray  June,  ASC 

Film  editor Frank  Sullivan 

Cast:  Robert  Montgomery,  Edward  Arnold, 

Reginald  Owen,  Edmund  Gwenn,  E.  E.  Clive, 
Ronald  Sinclair,  Norma  Varden,  Halliwell 
Hobbes,  Ian  Wulf,  Peter  Godfrey,  Billy  Bevan. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

VERY  peculiar  drama  indeed.  No 
heroine.  The  piece  starts  out  in  a 
comedy  vein  and  ends  up  with  the 
hero  approaching  the  scaffold.  The 
theme  is  unusual  too,  having  to  do 
with  the  metamorphosis  of  a Chicago 
gangster  boss  who  inherits  a large  estate 
and  a title  of  Earl  in  England.  That 
is  to  say,  the  metamorphosis  is  under 
way  when  the  drama  takes  its  somber 
turn. 

By  a rather  roundabout  process  does 
the  drama  come  to  the  screen,  the  screen 
play  by  Lesser  Samuels  having  been 
based  on  a story  by  Charles  de  Grand- 
court and  Gene  Fowler,  who  in  turn 
adapted  their  work  from  the  book  The 
Earl  of  Chicago  by  Brock  Williams.  Or 
maybe  Screen  Scriptist  Samuels  consult- 
ed the  Williams  book  too.  It  is  ever 
so  slightly  confusing.  At  any  rate,  that 
there  were  divergent  views  of  the  ma- 
terial is  evident  in  the  joint  handiwork. 
The  idea  is  original  and  clever,  a few 
of  the  scenes  are  absorbingly  entertain- 
ing, yet  one  feels  more  could  have  been 
done  with  the  story  as  a whole. 

Could  Have  Ended  Otherwise 

Undoubtedly  this  tragic  turn  of  the 
story  amounts  to  a shift  in  genre.  If 
the  ending  was  to  be  heavy  it  should 
have  been  prepared  for.  The  execution 
was  the  finale  of  the  book  too,  I am 
told,  but  in  the  film  the  influences  of 
English  tradition  and  refinement  upon 
the  gangster  are  shown  to  be  so  telling, 
and  are  depicted  with  such  humor  and 
sensibility,  that  we  rather  expect  to  see 
him  ultimately  fall  in  line  with  what 
is  expected  of  him  by  those  dependent 
on  him  by  virtue  of  his  high  position, 
and  some  spectators  may  be  disappoint- 
ed by  the  outcome.  One  feels  that  the 
story  could  have  ended  another  way. 

A worthy  phase  of  the  story  is  the 
setting  forth  of  the  importance  of  rank 
and  of  tradition  and  ceremony  in  the 
British  social  system.  The  racketeer, 
who  had  gone  to  England  intent  on 
liquidating  all  his  property  and  return- 
ing with  the  money,  comes  to  under- 
stand noblesse  oblige.  And  he  comes  as 
well  to  experience  a certain  pride  in  the 
ancestors  who  lived  in  the  great  castle 
before  him,  and  who  are  venerated  for 
the  part  they  played  in  building  the 
English  nation — “big  shots.”  The  cer- 
emony at  which  the  fellow  becomes 
officially  bestowed  with  the  title,  is 
staged  in  a replete  way,  and  is  interest- 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  THREE 


ing  and  impressive,  as  too  is  his  event- 
ual trial  before  the  House  of  Lords. 

Star's  Performance  Good 

CJ  Robert  Montgomery  goes  to  the  pains 
of  giving  a distinct  characterization  as 
the  racketeer,  even  to  moving  forward 
his  hair  line.  It  is  good  work.  He  gets 
a good  deal  of  humor  out  of  the  fellow’s 
impact  with  the  English  influences,  and 
a bit  of  pathos  too.  Probably  the  crack- 
ling laugh  could  have  been  modified. 
Seems  the  authors  would  have  done  well 
not  to  have  made  the  gangster  quite  so 
materialistic — “animalistic’’  is  the  word. 
He  might  have  been  a little  less  gross; 
he  would  have  gained  in  humanness, 
and  in  audience  sympathy  and  interest. 

Edward  Arnold  gives  a smooth  per- 
formance as  the  gangster’s  personal  at- 
torney, though  the  part  is  not  clearly 
motivated.  Throughout  the  play  we 
are  led  to  believe,  especially  by  his 
whimsical  attitude,  that  the  attorney,  a 
cultivated  man,  is  interested  in  seeing  a 
change  brought  about  in  the  gross  fel- 
low, while  all  the  time  he  is  plotting 
vengeance.  Edmund  Gwenn  is  excellent 
as  a butler  and  confident,  and  Reginald 
Owen  and  E.  E.  Clive  are  others  well 
cast. 

Richard  Thorpe's  strongest  work  is 
the  handling  of  Montgomery  in  the 
scenes  preceding  and  during  the  trial, 
when  the  gangster  is  struck  dumb  by 
the  turn  of  circumstances.  There  is 
much  force  here,  and  it  is  not  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  director  if  the  scenes 
contrast  markedly  in  tone  with  earlier 
ones.  Cedric  Gibbons  and  his  associates 
have  made  handsome  and  expansive 
sets,  which  exude  tradition.  Photogra- 
phy also  is  well  handled. 

A story  of  originality  and  cleverness, 
though  more  could  have  been  done  with 
it.  [he  atmosphere  of  the  English 
countryside  and  of  a great  castle  is  most 
engaging.  Students  will  be  interested 
in  the  setting  forth  of  the  significance 
of  rank  and  tradition  in  the  British 
social  system,  as  well  as  in  the  staging 
of  an  elaborate  court  ceremony. 

k Warner  Brothers  produce  more  than 
50  short  subjects  each  year. 


Eyes  Examined  AND  Glasses  ¥ it  ted 


DEVER  D.  GRAY,  OPT.  D. 

...OPTOMETRIST... 


1725  North  Highland  Avenue 
Hollywood,  California 
HEmpstead  8438 


Paroled  Convicts  ’ 


Problems  Depicted 

INVISIBLE  STRIPES 
Warner  Bros. -First  National 


Hal  B.  Wallis 
Louis  F.  Edelman 
Warren  Dulf 
Jonathan  Finn 
Warden  Lewis  E.  Lawes 
Lloyd  Bacon 
Ernie  Haller,  ASC 
Max  Parker 
James  Gibbon 
Byron  Haskin,  ASC 
H.  Roemheld 
Leo  F.  Forbstein 


Executive  producer 
Associate  producer 
Screen  play 
From  a story  by 
Based  on  book  by 
Director 

Director  of  photography 
Art  director 
Film  editor 
Special  effects 
Music 

Musical  director 
Cast:  George  Raft,  Jane  Bryan,  William  Hold- 
en, Humphrey  Bogart,  Flora  Robson,  Paul 
Kelly,  Lee  Patrick,  Henry  O'Neill,  Frankie 
Thomas,  Moroni  Olsen,  Margot  Stevenson, 
Marc  Lawrence,  Joseph  Downing,  Leo  Gor- 
cey,  William  Haade,  Tully  Marshall. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
THE  Brethren  Warner  here  present  us 
I with  another  of  their  sociological- 
gangster  dramas,  which  have  become  a 
forte  of  the  organization.  This  one 
exposes  the  deplorably  tough  time  con- 
victs have,  assertedly,  once  they  have 
paid  their  debt  to  society  and  are  back 
in  society’s  lap.  Society,  we  are  told, 
is  far  from  unanimously  willing  to 
consider  the  debt  paid  in  full.  There 
are  other  sociological  problems  touched 
upon,  in  especial  the  plight  of  a young 
mechanic,  the  convict’s  brother,  whose 
salary  of  $20  a week  does  not  suffice  for 
his  getting  married  and  contributing  to 
the  support  of  his  mother,  and  who  is 
thus  tempted  to  take  the  wayward 
course. 


Those  who  are  not  especially  con- 
cerned with  sociological  problems  per  se 
will  find  the  present  study  entails  plen- 
ty of  melodrama  to  divert  them,  in- 
cluding the  usual  group  gun  battle  at 
the  finale,  with  any  number  of  corpses 
left  strewn  about. 


His  Trails  Seem  Overdrawn 

•J  Source  of  the  story  material  is  a book 
by  Warden  Lewis  Lawes,  who  certain- 
ly should  be  an  authority  on  the  vicis- 
situdes of  ex-cons,  and  if  I were  sure 
the  plight  of  the  fellow  as  here  depicted 
is  just  as  it  is  recounted  in  the  warden’s 
book,  not  a syllable  of  incredulity 
would  leave  my  pen.  It  would  seem, 
though,  that  Jonathan  Finn  has  com- 
plicated the  released  convict’s  existence 
a bit  in  drafting  his  story. 

Individual  ex-cons  may  have  en- 
countered fellowmen  as  prevalently  cal- 
lous and  belligerent  as  this  man  does, 
but  his  appears  to  be  set  forth  as  a rep- 
resentative case,  and  it  does  not  strike 
us  as  representative.  There  is  undoubt- 
edly truth  in  the  assertion  that  employ- 
ers do  not  cooperate  as  fully  as  they 
should  in  rehabilitating  the  convict,  yet 
it  is  generally  known  that  a large  per- 


centage oi  n rei  i 

become  repu  tie  c ,ne 

have  risen  to  ii. flu 

Some  Good  Performa;^.. . 

•I  The  show  is  well  piayeu.  Director 
Lloyd  Bacon  has  brought  to  the  screen 
with  full  force  the  melodramatic  punch 
of  the  screen  play.  There  is  to  be  seen, 
too,  a sequence  of  exceptional  freshness 
and  tenderness  between  the  young  me- 
chanic and  the  girl  he  would  marry, 
given  a touch  of  poetry  by  Writer  War- 
ren Duff  and  directed  with  simplicity 
and  sincerity.  That  the  lad’s  eventual 
ownership  of  a garage  is  made  possible 
through  money  stolen  by  his  brother 
may  leave  sticklers  for  ethics  not  alto- 
gether satisfied  at  the  conclusion.  It  is 
logical  enough,  though,  homo  sapiens 
being  what  he  is. 

George  Raft  and  Humphrey  Bogart 
are  in  good  acting  fettle.  Jane  Bryan 
is  appealing,  and  it  is  evident  that  Wil- 
liam Holden  is  no  flash  in  the  pan,  here 
manifesting  a good  deal  of  promise. 
Flora  Robson  as  the  mother  gives  us 
some  of  those  bright  and  shining  mo- 
ments which  only  occasionally  illumine 
the  screen.  Ernie  Haller’s  photography 
is  excellent  and  H.  Roemheld  has  work- 
ed an  effective  musical  theme  into  his 
score,  which  has  much  of  “big  city” 
feeling.  Leo  Forbstein  directed  it.  • 

Another  Warner  sociological-gangster 
drama,  with  both  elements  treated  vig- 
orously. I' he  playing  is  good.  A merit 
of  the  film  is  its  emphasizing  the  fact 
that  employers  do  not  cooperate  as  they 
should  in  the  rehabilitation  of  excon- 
victs, though  the  trials  of  the  released 
prisoner  in  the  picture  seem  overdrawn. 
Too  grim  and  ballistic  for  the  children. 


McCarthy  Funny , 


Story  Inadequate 


CHARLIE  McCarthy.  DETECTIVE.  Universal 


Producer-director  Frank  Tuttle 

Associate  producer  Jerry  Sackheim 

Screen  play:  Edward  Eliscu,  Harold  Shumate, 
Richard  Mack. 

Original  story  Robertson  White,  Darrell  Ware 
Director  of  photography:  George  Robinson. 


ASC. 

Art  director 
Film  editor 
Musical  director 
Musical  score 


Jack  Otterson 
Bernard  Burton 
Charles  Previn 
Frank  Skinner 


Cast:  Robert  Cummings,  Constance  Moore, 

John  Sutton,  Louis  Calhern,  Edgar  Kennedy, 
Samuel  S.  Hinds,  Harold  Huber,  Warren  Hy- 
mer,  Ray  Turner. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 


GETS  pretty  silly.  Of  course,  cooking 
up  a starring  vehicle  for  such  irregu- 
lar personalities  as  Charlie  McCarthy 
and  Mortimer  Snerd  must  have  been  a 
task,  yet  it  seems  a more  substantial 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


yc?<: 
thi  1 


, been  r.'vTntrived  than 
ard  abstruse  de- 
1 rv“s  seems  to  be  some 
va. , , . . J-p:nion  between  the  five 
contributing  authors  as  to  just  what 
should  be  done  with  the  material,  what 
attitude  should  be  assumed  toward  the 
story.  Asking  the  spectator  to  take  a 
serious  interest  in  a murder  at  one  mo- 
ment and  then  throwing  plausibility  to 
the  four  winds  at  another,  is  something 
like  mixing  ice  and  warm  water. 


Thward  the  end,  plot  apparently 
having  run  thin,  there  is  a prolonged 
free-for-all  fight,  as  slapstick  as  they 
come.  Here  again,  we  are  expected  to 
be  concerned  over  certain  characters  es- 
caping death  at  the  hands  of  gangsters, 
while  at  times  the  brawl  appears  to  be 
a travesty. 


Dummy  or  Entity? 

<3  Nor  is  it  any  too  clear  just  how 
we  are  supposed  to  accept  McCarthy, 
whether  he  is  really  just  a dummy  and 
the  mouthpiece  of  Bergen,  or  whether 
he  is  an  entity.  Most  of  the  time  the 
former  appears  to  be  the  case,  though 
later  on  Charlie  speaks  when  alone. 
Mortimer  Snerd  is  on  his  own  through- 
out. Charlie  delivers  himself  in  his 
usual  tickling  and  captivating  way,  and 
a song  number  he  does  at  the  opening 
of  the  picture  is  fine  fun.  If  his  routine 
of  gags  is  not  quite  as  mirthful  as  it 
has  bem  on  some  earlier  appearances,  he 
gets  off  a goodly  number  of  bons  mots. 
It  is  more  the  way  Charlie  says  a thing 
than  what  he  says  that  is  funny,  inci- 
dentally. One  of  his  best  responses 
comes  from  something  like,  "I  like  the 
rich.  They  are  so  kind  to  the  poor,” 
which  does  not  sound  like  much  in  the 
telling. 

Robert  Cummings  plays  in  his  usual 
spirited  way,  but  has  little  to  work 
with.  Constance  Moore  is  competent, 
warbles  pleasantly.  John  Sutton  and 
Louis  Calhern  are  efficient.  Frank  Tut- 
tle produced  and  directed. 

The  story  is  pretty  much  shoddy, 
runs  into  considerable  silliness.  Charlie 
McCarthy  may  somewhat  redeem  the 
picture  for  you,  though.  As  always,  he 
provokes  a good  many  chuckles.  All 
ripht  for  the  children. 


Printing 

Mimeographing 

Muitigraphing 

Typeing 

JEANNE  EDWARDS 

1655  North  Cherokee 
(at  Hollywood  Blvd.) 

HEmpstead  1969 


Musical  Portions 

Unusually  Good 

SWANEE  RIVER,  Twentieth  Century-Fox 

Director  Sidney  Lanfield 

Associate  producer  Kenneth  Macgowan 

Screen  play  John  Taintor  Foote,  Philip  Dunne 
Director  of  photography  Bert  Glennon,  ASC 
Dances  staged  by:  Nicholas  Castle,  Geneva 

Sawyer. 

Art  director.  Richard  Day,  Joseph  C.  Wright 
Set  decorations  Thomas  Little 

Film  editor  Louis  Loeffler 

Costumes  Royer 

Sound  W.  D.  Flick,  Roger  Heman 

Musical  director  Louis  Silvers 

Cast:  Don  Ameche,  Andrea  Leeds,  A1  Jolson, 
Felix  Bressart,  Chick  Chandler,  Russell  Hicks, 
George  Reed,  Hall  Johnson  Choir,  Richard 
Clarke,  Diane  Fisher,  Charles  Halton,  George 
Breakstone,  A1  Herman,  Charles  Trowbridge, 
George  Meeker,  Leona  Roberts,  Charles  Tan- 
nen,  Harry  Hayden,  Clara  Blandick,  Nella 
Walker,  Esther  Dale. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

A MUSICAL  based  on  the  life  of  Ste- 
/i  phen  Foster,  rather  than  a biography 
of  the  composer  in  a strict  sense,  is 
Swanee  River.  The  story,  viewed  as  an 
instrumentality  for  assembling  a concert 
of  Foster’s  songs,  worked  in  with  the 
salient  facts  of  his  life,  is  a rather  in- 
genious job.  The  most  rewarding  parts 
of  the  picture,  though,  are  the  musical 
numbers.  Done  in  Technicolor,  on  an 
elaborate  scale,  and  given  fine  orchestral 
and  vocal  interpretation,  at  least  for  the 
most  part,  the  numbers  richly  character- 
ize spreading  America  of  the  past  cen- 
tury. 

Never  has  greater  human  feelings, 
pathos  and  exultation  alike,  been  mani- 
fest in  Foster’s  songs.  That  they  so 
reach  the  heart  tell  us  that  the  phase 
of  our  national  life  for  which  they 
spoke  is  by  no  means  over;  we  are  still 
in  it. 

Foster  Is  Not  Realized 

<3  In  the  story,  however,  despite  several 
dramatic  incidents,  we  do  not  get  enough 
of  Foster  the  man.  This  is  not  alto- 
gether an  adverse  criticism  of  the  play. 
Indeed,  the  play  is  not  altogether  re- 
sponsible for  the  final  effect.  The  per- 
formances and.  to  some  extent,  the  di- 
rection are  contributing  factors.  As  for 
the  play,  however,  John  Taintor  Foote 
and  Philip  Dunne  had  a choice  of  writ- 
ing an  authentic,  detailed  biography  of 
Foster  or  of  using  an  account  of  his  life 
merely  as  the  basis  for  a musical  pro- 
duction. and  they  chose  the  latter  course. 
And  not  without  good  reason.  It  is 
generally  known  that  Foster’s  life  was 
not  a happy  or  a savory  one  — and 
heaven  knows  the  producers  have  elect- 
ed to  give  us  enough  grim  dram  in  these 
troublous  times. 

Seems  to  me,  though,  that  somewhat 
of  a better  balance  could  have  been 


struck  between  realism  and  fancy,  that 
there  could  have  been  a little  more 
biographical  penetration.  Throughout 
most  of  this  picture  Foster  lives  a happy 
and  successful,  indeed  gilded,  existence. 
If  not  delving  far  into  the  inner  process- 
es of  a man,  it  seems  to  me  a biographic- 
al work  should  at  least  reflect  the  es- 
sential tone  of  a man’s  life. 

Two  "Toots"  and  She  Leaves 

*J  In  one  instance  the  soft-pedalling  re- 
sults in  an  unintended  effect.  There  are 
only  two  occasions  during  his  married 
life  on  which  the  composer  resorts  to 
heavy  drink,  both  motivated  by  severe 
disappointments.  That  Andrea  Leeds, 
his  wife,  leaves  him  after  the  second  in- 
cident makes  her  appear  rather  smug 
and  heartless.  This  impression  is  some- 
what mitigated  later  on,  when  it  is 
brought  out  that  he  has  been  an  habit- 
ual heavy  drinker,  which  should  have 
been  done  earlier. 

Attributing  his  death  to  a heart  at- 
tack is  permissible  cinematic  license, 
doubtless  for  the  best.  If  memory  serves 
aright,  Foster  took  his  own  life.  How- 
ever, the  authors  have  rather  cleverly 
left  an  opening  for  personal  interpre- 
tation in  the  episode. 

A1  Jolson  Registers  Strongly 

C|  As  for  the  performances,  the  accolade 
must  go  to  A1  Jolson,  who  finds  one  of 
the  best  parts  he  has  had  for  a long 
time  in  E.  P.  Christy,  a noted  minstrel 
man  of  the  day,  and  makes  a good  deal 
of  it.  His  portrayal  of  the  mannered 
minstrel  star  is  often  very  amusing,  but 
Jolson’s  chief  contribution  to  the  picture 
is  his  warm  rendition  of  the  Foster 
songs.  Jolson  is  in  black-face  again  dur- 
ing his  numbers,  working  in  the  style 
that  is  his  forte,  that  made  him  famous. 

Don  Ameche,  seen  as  the  composer, 
is  capable  in  a technical  way,  brings  a 
good  deal  of  sincerity  and  emotional 
force  to  the  part:  and  yet  — for  me,  at 
least  — he  was  not  Foster.  The  work 
of  those  in  other  departments  may  have 
some  bearing  on  this  impression,  still 
Ameche  does  not  strike  me  as  being  well 
cast  in  the  part.  He  is  best  in  lighter, 
modern  things.  Andrea  Leeds  is  not 
strong  in  her  role.  Her  work  needs  more 
accentuation.  Felix  Bressart.  Chick 
Chandler,  George  Reed,  and  Russell 
Hicks  do  well  in  prominent  parts. 

Striped  Trousers  Effective 

CJ  Sidney  Lanfield  has  put  a good  flow 
into  the  action,  and,  on  the  whole,  has 
pointed  the  emotional  values  of  the 
story  very  effectively.  The  musical  score 
and  direction  of  Louis  Silvers  do  much 
to  build  emotional  effects,  particularly, 
of  course,  in  the  musical  numbers  them- 
selves. In  these  portions  the  Techni- 
color photography  is  a definite  enhance- 
ment. Shots  of  the  Hall  Johnson  Choir 
rendering  Old  Black  Joe  about  the  grave 
of  Old  Joe  are  striking.  Natalie  Kalmus. 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  FIVE 


Technicolor  director,  can  certainly  stick 
a feather  in  her  hat  for  the  minstrel 
scene  in  which  a row  of  dancers,  in 
trousers  with  red  stripes,  perform  in 
unison  — one  of  the  most  effective  em- 
ployments of  color  on  the  screen  I have 
witnessed.  Little  has  been  done  toward 
using  color  in  a rhythmical  way.  Bert 
Glennon  was  in  charge  of  photography. 
If  some  of  the  interiors  of  Richard  Day 
and  Joseph  Wright  seem  a little  too 
ornate  for  the  mood  of  the  piece,  they 
have  done  especially  interesting  work  in 
recreating  an  old  theatre  of  that  day 
together  with  the  settings  for  the  min- 
strel show  on  view. 

As  a musical  production,  the  pic- 
ture has  uncommon  emotional  force. 
Though  scarcely  penetrating  as  biogra- 
phy nor  presenting  a very  vivid  por- 
trait of  Stephen  Foster,  the  film  cap- 
tures much  of  the  spirit  of  American 
life  in  the  past  century.  Never  have 
Foster's  songs  been  presented  more  stir- 
ringly. Study  groups  should  find  es- 
pecially interesting  a scene  in  technicolor 
in  which  a row  of  minstrel  dancers, 
with  red  stripes  down  their  trousers, 
perform  in  unison,  perhaps  the  first  em- 
ployment of  rhythm  with  color  outside 
of  the  cartoon  field.  The  re-creation  of 
a 19th  Century  theatre  and  the  staging 
of  a minstrel  should  be  interesting  to 
students  of  the  drama. 

La  Heme  Glamorous 
In  Nezv  Comedy  Role 

EVERYTHING  HAPPENS  AT  NIGHT 
Twentieth  Century-Fox 

Director  Irving  Cummings 

Associate  producer  Harry  Joe  Brown 

Original  screen  play:  Art  Arthur,  Robert 

Harari. 

Director  of  photography:  Edward  Conjager, 

ASC. 

Art  directors  Richard  Day,  Albert  Hogsett 
Film  editor  Walter  Thompson 

Skating  numbers  staged  by  Nicholas  Castle 
Musical  director  Cyril  J.  Mockridge 

Cast:  Sonja  Henie,  Ray  Milland,  Robert  Cum- 
mings, Maurice  Moscovich,  Leonid  Kinskey, 
Alan  Dinehart,  Fritz  Feld,  Jody  Gilbert,  Victor 
Varconi,  William  Edmunds,  George  Davis, 
Paul  Porcasi,  Michael  Visaroff,  Eleanor  Wes- 
selhoeft,  Lester  Matthews,  Christian  Rub,  Fer- 
dinand Munier,  Holmes  Herbert,  Roger  Imhol, 
Rolfe  Sedan,  Frank  Reicher,  John  Bleifer. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

SNOW  and  quaint  Swiss  dwellings 
and  gay  costumes  again  create  their 
spell  in  Everything  Flappens  at  Night, 
the  new  Sonja  Henie  offering.  The  pic- 
ture has  a beguiling  sparkle  and  sprite- 
liness.  Not  quite  everything  happens  at 
night,  though;  fact  is,  the  most  im- 
portant episodes  transpire  during  sunlit 
hours.  A stickler  for  accuracy,  this  Har- 
len person,  especially  with  respect  to 
titles. 

The  plot  itself  is  nothing  very  novel, 
but,  as  Editor  Beaton  has  pointed  out, 


any  story  can  be  made  entertaining  by 
the  treatment  of  it.  Around  the  situa- 
tion of  two  reporters  out  for  the  same 
story,  as  well  as  for  the  same  girl,  some 
amusing  by-situations  have  been  spun, 
and  the  whole  is  studded  with  tricksy 
dialogue.  It  is  all  escapist  drama  of  the 
first  water,  but  it  achieves  its  objectives 
quite  successfully. 

Skating  Number  Outstanding 

A highlight  of  the  picture  is  the  fea- 
ture skating  number  of  Sonja  Henie, 
which,  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  loveliest 
number  she  has  ever  done.  A stately 
Viennese-type  palace  is  the  setting,  from 
the  vast  frozen  floor  of  which  rises  a 
row  of  great  pillars.  In  and  out  of  these 
she  skates.  Much  of  the  music  is  from 
Strauss,  though  some  rumba  music  and 
other  strains  are  interpolated.  The  skat- 
er has  never  been  more  scintillating, 
more  flexible  of  facial  play,  than  here. 
Seems  she  presents  a few  new  maneuv- 
ers in  her  routine,  too. 

The  Hollywood  crafts  of  make-up, 
lighting  and  costuming  have  certainly 
worked  their  wonders  in  the  case  of  La 
Henie.  In  some  scenes  here  she  is  rather 
ravishingly  comely.  The  comedy  scenes 
she  carries  off  with  considerable  zest 
and  variety.  In  the  heavier  portions  she 
is  satisfactory,  if  a little  taxed. 

Cast  Is  Strong 

<J  Robert  Cummings'  buoyant  comedy 
performance,  as  one  of  the  reporters, 
gained  him  high  favor  with  the  audi- 
ence. He  is  certainly  showing  Holly- 
wood what  he  can  do  these  days.  The 
droll  essayal  of  Ray  Milland,  the  com- 
peting journalist,  also  contributes  im- 
portantly to  the  success  of  the  picture. 
There  is  a strong  and  lengthy  support- 
ing cast,  notable  among  whom  are 
Maurice  Moscovich,  Alan  Dinehart, 
Fritz  Feld,  in  another  of  his  diverse 
characterizations,  and  Victor  Varconi. 
Leonid  Kinskey  is  subtle,  but  for  the 
life  of  me  I cannot  seem  to  recall  what 
he  was  in  the  story  for. 

Indeed,  there  is  more  than  one  facet 
of  the  yarn  it  would  be  just  as  well  not 
to  examine  too  closely.  For  one  thing, 
Cummings’  sending  out  the  story  to  the 
world  that  the  girl’s  father,  a Nobel 
prize  winner,  believed  to  have  been  as- 
sassinated but  really  in  seclusion  in  the 
mountains,  is  still  alive,  and  then  with 
much  alarm  doing  everything  to  help 
the  man  escape  from  his  enemies,  ap- 
parently the  Nazis.  It  appears  that  the 
old  man's  predicament  would  have  oc- 
curred to  him  beforehand.  On  its  face, 
though,  the  situation  seems  to  present 
no  unsurmountable  dramaturgic  dif- 
ficulties, and  I am  surprised  Art  Arthur 
and  Robert  Harari  did  not  manage  it 
better.  Moreover,  Milland’s  out-and-out 
theft  of  Cummings’  scoop  puts  him 
pretty  much  in  the  light  of  a skunk. 

Men's  Costumes  Dazzle 

Cjj  Most  of  the  picture,  though,  as  I said, 


prison 

is  in  a light  an  some 

Irving  Cummir, 
points  the  humor  . 
skating  numbers,  men.  rere 

staged  by  Nicholas  Castle,  t L-  . a ing 
portions  are  in  good  balance  with  the 
story,  an  arrangement  which  might 
well  be  followed  in  succeeding  films — 
one  feature  number  and  a shorter  in- 
formal exhibition.  Photography  by 
Edward  Conjager  warrants  mention, 
and  certainly  does  the  costuming  by 
Royer.  You  should  see  what  gentlemen 
are  wearing  in  the  Alps  this  season — 
flowing  silk  affairs  that  look  like  pa- 
jamas, and  bushy  feathers  in  their  hats 
and  everything.  These  journalists  cer- 
tainly take  along  a wardrobe. 

It  has  gay  atmosphere,  some  divert- 
ing humor,  and  the  incomparable  skat- 
ing of  Sonja  Henie,  seen  here  in  perhaps 
her  loveliest  number.  Very  much  escap- 
ist drama,  but  beguihngly  so.  Aside 
from  the  “ poetry  in  motion,”  good  for 
the  souls  of  everybody . there  is  nothing 
especially  in  the  picture  to  call  to  the 
attention  of  study  groups,  except  to 
observe  the  wonders  Hollywood  crafts 
of  make-up.  lighting  and  costuming 
have  worked  with  the  skating  star,  who 
is  super- glamorous  in  numerous  scenes. 

Gulliver's  Travels 
Satiric  In  Theme 

GULLIVER'S  TRAVELS,  Paramount 

Producer  Max  Fleischer 

Director  Dave  Fleischer 

Screen  play:  Dan  Gordon,  Cal  Howard,  Ted 
Pierce,  Izzy  Sparber,  Edmond  Seward. 
Adaptation  of  Jonathan  Swift's  tale:  Edmond 
Seward. 

Scenics:  Erich  Schenk,  Robert  Little,  Louis 

Jambor,  Shane  Miller. 

Directors  of  animation:  Seymour  Kneitel, 

Willard  Bowsky,  Tom  Palmer,  Grim  Nat- 
wick,  William  Henning,  Roland  Crandall, 
Tom  Johnson,  Robert  Leffingwell,  Frank 
Kelling,  Winfield  Hoskins,  Orestes  Calpini. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

HERE  is  much  diverting  fancy  in  the 
new  feature  length  color  cartoon 
Gulliver’s  Travels,  produced  by  Max 
Fleischer.  There  are  beautifully  colored 
vistas,  many  droll  little  characters,  a 
dream-world  pair  of  lovers,  and  by 
gum.  some  philosophy  too.  The  g'ant 
Gulliver  sees  the  foibles  of  these  little 
people,  their  hot-headedness,  irration- 
ality, and  suspicion  much  in  the  same 
light  that  an  omnipotent  mind  would 
see  the  vain  wranglings  of  peoples  of 
our  earth  today. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  Swift's  tale 
was  written  with  satiric  intent,  though, 
ironically,  the  work  is  now  more  wide- 
ly read  by  children.  In  the  film  two 
rulers  of  the  little  folk  lead  their  re- 
spective peoples  into  war  because  it  can- 
not be  agreed  which  song  will  be  sung 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


yatn  !ing  ween  a son 

thi)  :wo  houses. 

r2\  ’* 

w a ‘cmparison 

<J  i mg  the  second  feature  length 

cartoon,  however,  comparisons  between 
it  and  Disney’s  Snow  White  and  the 
Seven  Dwarfs  inevitably  will  be  made. 
The  present  picture,  though  entertain- 
ing, does  not  approach  the  earlier  one  in 
artistic  merit.  The  Disney  genius — and 
here  is  one  person  in  Hollywood  to 
whom  the  much  abused  term  can  legiti- 
mately be  applied — is  plainly  lacking. 

For  one  thing  the  animation  does  not 
have  the  finesse  it  had  in  Snow  White. 
Movements,  especially  the  broader  ones, 
are  sometimes  so  jerky  and  rapid  as  to 
be  just  the  least  bit  annoying.  If  the 
production  budget  necessitated  the  use 
of  fewer  stills,  it  would  seem  that  it 
would  have  been  better  to  use  less  of 
the  broad  gestures.  The  texture  of  the 
film  much  of  the  time  is  similar  to  that 
in  the  Fleischer  short  subjects,  and  some- 
how in  a feature  film  we  expect  more. 

Much  Time  Given  to  Byplay 

More  could  have  been  done  with  the 
story.  The  Swift  yarn  does  not  appear 
to  possess  less  potentialities  than  Snow 
White.  The  seven  dwarfs,  after  all,  were 
Disney’s  own  creations.  Characters  in 
Gulliver's  Travels  are  not  as  individual. 
Moreover,  rather  too  much  time  is  given 
over  to  byplay.  The  tying  up  of  Gulli- 
ver and  transporting  him  to  the  city 
occupies  too  much  time,  suspends  plot 
movement.  Many  of  the  gags  are  of 
the  more  obvious  type — people  turning 
purple  in  the  face  or  disappearing  into 
the  distance  like  a lightning  streak. 

Nevertheless,  the  picture  succeeds  in 
putting  across  a valuable  thesis — that 
all  our  woes  could  be  obviated  if  we 
only  used  our  heads  instead  of  our  im- 
pulses; and  it  has  moments  of  striking 
visual  loveliness  and  considerable  tic- 
kling whimsy.  One  of  the  most  im- 
pressive scenes  in  the  film,  “directed’’ 
by  Dave  Fleischer,  is  the  slow  funereal 
movement  of  the  great  prostrate  Gul- 
liver over  the  countryside,  carted  by  the 
Lilliputians.  Another  good  scene  is 
Gulliver’s  nostalgic  singing  of  his  de- 
sire for  his  homeland,  alone  at  the  sea- 
side, some  rhythmic  shots  of  the  waves 
being  worked  into  the  sequence.  The 
mus'cal  numbers  are  one  of  the  best 
features  of  the  production,  and  several 
of  the  songs  should  be  on  the  hit  list. 

This  second  of  the  feature  cartoons 
is  diverting,  it  presents  a good  deal  of 
whimsy,  visual  beauty,  engaging  music, 
and  succeeds  in  putting  across  a timely 
and  socially  important  theme.  Do  not 
approach  it  expecting  it  to  measure  up 
to  Snow  White,  however. 


★ Short  subjects  now  being  produced 
by  the  major  studios  frequently  cost 
as  high  as  $45,000  to  $50,000. 


Of  Mice  And  Men 
Is  Starkly  Grim 

OF  MICE  AND  MEN.  Hal  Roach 

Producer-director  . Lewis  Milestone 

Associate  producer  Frank  Ross 

Screen  play Eugene  Solow 

Director  of  photography:  Norbert  Brodine. 

ASC. 

Photographic  effects  Roy  Seawright 

Editor  Bert  Jordan 

Art  director Nicolai  Remisoff 

Interior  decorator  W.  L.  Stevens 

Sound  recorder  William  Randall 

Musical  score  Aaron  Copland 

Conductor  Irvin  Talbot 

Cast:  Burgess  Meredith,  Betty  Field,  Lon 

Chaney,  Jr.,  Charles  Bickford,  Roman  Bohnen, 
Bob  Steele,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  Granville  Bates, 
Oscar  O'Shea,  Leigh  Whipper. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

SEVERAL  of  my  confreres  fell  to 
talking  in  the  lobby  after  the  pre- 
view, myself  being  one  of  the  group, 
and  it  was  generally  agreed  that  Of 
Mice  and  Men  would  either  be  a box- 
office  flop  or  a hit.  No  in  between.  It 
is  as  starkly  grim  as  anything  the 
screen  has  presented.  One  woman  mem- 
ber of  the  group  said  she  thought  she 
had  seen  everything  in  nerve-depleting 
dramas  in  The  Elunchback  of  Notre 
Dame,  but  that  on  the  present  occasion 
she  was  utterly  spent. 

From  several  aspects  Of  Mice  and 
Men  is  an  admirable  presentation.  It 
is  searching,  it  is  honest,  its  two  main 
protagonists  are  as  individual,  alive, 
richly  compounded  as  any  figures  to 
turn  up  in  dramatic  literature  during 
recent  years.  Whether  the  film  will 
please  everyone  or  not,  I think  the 
screen  is  benefited  by  the  production  of 
the  piece. 

Its  Production  Inevitable 

<J  Not  that  any  bouquets  for  courage 
or  farsightedness  are  due  Producer  Hal 
Roach.  The  book  was  widely  read,  the 
play  a New  York  success  — in  fact, 
chosen  as  the  best  play  of  the  year  by 
the  New  York  critics — and  the  story 
would  have  been  brought  to  the  screen 
irrespective  of  its  subject  matter.  It  is 
evident,  moreover,  that  had  the  story 
been  presented  to  any  studio  as  an  or- 
iginal, it  would  have  got  past  the  first 
reader. 

John  Steinbeck’s  tale  of  the  strange 
attachment  between  two  lonely  ranch 
hands,  one  a little  fellow  with  the 
brains,  the  other  a great  brute  with  a 
feeble  mind,  is  by  now  pretty  generally 
known.  In  his  direction  Lewis  Mile- 
stone has  given  numerous  impressive 
cinematic  touches  to  the  piece,  and  yet 
the  film,  screen-played  by  Eugene  So- 
low, follows  very  closely  the  stage  play 
of  George  S.  Kaufman,  even  to  the  in- 
tact inclusion  of  a sequence  in  which 
an  old  man  is  persuaded  to  let  his  faith- 
ful dog  be  shot,  his  only  friend,  for  it 


too  is  old  and  smells,  a scene  with  force 
but  slightly  too  long  for  what  it  ac- 
complishes with  respect  to  the  play  as 
a whole. 

Is  Abysmally  Depressing 

<J  “The  best  laid  schemes  o’  mice  and 
men  oft  go  astray,”  from  Robert  Burns, 
provides  both  the  title  and  the  theme 
of  the  play.  The  theme  is  given  ob- 
ject illustration  among  the  characters; 
George,  the  great  brute  Lennie,  and  the 
old  man  do  not  get  the  farm  and  inde- 
pendence they  have  dreamed  of;  Lennie 
does  not  get  to  feed  the  rabbits,  only  a 
bullet  into  his  feeble  brain;  the  pretty, 
capricious  wife  of  the  ranch  owner’s  son 
does  not  go  to  Hollywood,  but  death 
strikes  suddenly  at  her  too.  It  is  all  as 
near  to  being  tragedy,  in  the  sense  of 
the  traditional  dramatic  genre,  as  any- 
thing you  will  have  seen  on  the  screen. 
It  will  leave  you  abysmally  depressed, 
a bad  taste  in  your  mouth.  Yet  it  will 
have  given  you  a strange  stimulation 
too. 

I specified  tragedy  as  a dramatic 
genre,  because,  according  to  the  theor- 
ists, a dramatist  is  entitled  to  assume, 
in  that  form,  as  lugubrious  an  attitude 
toward  life  as  he  cares  to,  and  the  whole 
is  supposed  to  have  a “cathartic’’  effect 
on  the  spectator.  The  motion  picture, 
however,  is  essentially  a realistic  me- 
dium, and  the  present  picture  undoubt- 
edly will  be  scored  in  some  quarters — 
especially  by  California  chamber  of 
commerce  groups — for  its  violation  of 
strict  representation  both  with  respect 
to  life  on  a California  ranch  and  with 
respect  to  life  in  general.  Plainly  Stein- 
beck is  prone  to  look  on  the  darker  side 
of  things,  a propensity  observable  in 
his  other  works  too. 

Of  George  and  Lennie 

<fl  Performances  also  seem  to  follow 
closely  the  interpretations  given  on  the 
stage,  a bit  too  much  so  on  occasion. 
Burgess  Meredith  is  excellent  as  George, 
the  brain  of  the  duo.  His  work  is  re- 
strained, thoughtful.  Lon  Chaney,  Jr., 
is  a good  type  for  Lennie,  many  of  his 
scenes  make  telling  photographic  com- 
positions, and  at  times  his  whole  per- 
formance rises  to  peaks  of  power,  espe- 
cially in  the  scene  where,  urged  by 
George,  he  turns  against  the  ranch  own- 
er’s son,  who  has  been  pelting  him  in 
the  face,  catches  the  fellow’s  hand  in 
mid  air  and  squeezes  it  till  the  bones 
crumble — a horrible  business. 

At  other  times,  though,  Chaney  is 
too  broad,  and  especially  in  scenes'which 
called  for  simplicity.  This  detracts  from 
the  effectiveness  of  the  film.  As  George 
says  of  Lennie,  “He’s  dumb,  but  not 
crazy.”  Chaney  part  of  the  time  makes 
him  all  but  a maniac.  The  actor  has  a 
great  deal  to  work  with,  and  these  por- 
tions of  overstress  may  impress  many, 
but  the  fact  remains  that,  for  the  dis- 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  SEVEN 


cerning.  there  is  a difference  between 
acting  and  acting  up. 

Salty  Language  Not  Missed 

•I  Betty  Field,  the  young  wife,  charac- 
terizes vividly,  though  some  of  her 
scenes  might  have  been  modified  slightly 
without  loss  of  vividness.  The  same 
could  be  said  for  Roman  Bohnen, 
though  his  performance  as  the  old  fel- 
low is  certainly  touching.  Charles  Bick- 
ford. Bob  Steele,  and  others  of  the  cast 
do  well. 

One  does  not  miss  the  salty  language 
of  the  book  and  play.  The  cinema  me- 
dium emphasizes  other  elements  with 
compensating  effect.  It  would  have 
been  more  artistic  treatment  if  the  speech 
of  Candy’s  about  once  visiting  "a  dance 
hall"  had  been  altered  entirely  instead 
of  being  left  with  ambiguous  sense. 
Director  Milestone  has  handled  the  scene 
of  the  girl’s  murder  remarkably  well, 
better,  in  fact,  than  I had  imagined  it 
could  be  done  on  the  screen,  terrible  but 
not  repulsive.  Only  her  feet  are  shown, 
raised  from  the  ground  during  the  inci- 
dent. Then  her  body  slumps. 

Musical  Score  a Big  Asset 

•I  Another  good  directorial  touch  is 
having  characters  disappear  behind  a 
barn  and  emerge  again  on  the  other  side, 
their  conversation  unbroken,  though 
some  greater  care  could  have  been  given 
the  relationship  between  the  volume  of 
the  voices  and  their  distance  from  the 
camera.  The  opening  of  the  film,  in- 
cidentally, sets  some  kind  of  a record 
with  respect  to  preludes  of  action  before 
a title  and  credits  appear.  An  entire  epi- 
sode is  enacted  before  the  title  comes. 

Art  direction  by  Nicolai  Remisoff  is 
of  a high  order,  as  is  the  photography 
of  Norbert  Brodine,  with  special  effects 
by  Roy  Seawright.  Still,  I question  the 
use  of  the  sepia  tone  film,  or  at  least 
such  an  intensity  of  the  tone.  Seems  to 
me  it  gets  in  the  way  of  illusion,  mak- 
ing us  now  and  then  conscious  of  the 
mechanics  by  which  the  drama  is  being 
presented.  Moreover,  the  play  is  suffi- 
ciently heavy  of  mood  without  it. 

Aaron  Copland  has  written  a mu- 
sical score  that  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
drama  and  which,  imaginatively  con- 
ducted by  Irvin  Talbot,  does  much  to 
build  the  dramatic  effectiveness  of  many 
scenes.  I encountered  Dr.  Ussher  in  the 
lobby  afterwards,  who  seemed  much 
pleased  over  this  phase  of  the  production 
and  doubtless  will  write  something 
about  it. 

Very  substantial  cinema,  forceful  of 
theme,  vivid  in  characterization.  Ex- 
cellently. though  not  superbly,  done. 
Study  groups  will  find  considerable  to 
opine  about  in  the  treatment  of  the 
material,  especially  with  respect  to  the 
heavy  reliance  on  the  stage  production 
for  the  screen  play  and  in  the  perform- 
ances. Not  objectionable  for  the  chil- 


dren on  moral  grounds,  but  there  are 
happier  subjects  for  young  minds  to 
contemplate. 


Crooked-Nice  Hero 


Seems  Out-Of-Date 


RAFFLES,  United  Artists 
Producer  Samuel  Goldwyn 

Director  Sam  Wood 

Screen  play  by:  John  Van  Druten,  Sidney 

Howard. 

Based  upon  "The  Amateur  Cracksman,"  by 
E.  W.  Hornung. 

Cinematographer  Gregg  Toland,  ASC 

Art  director  James  Basevi 

Musical  director  Victor  Young 

Film  editor  Sherman  Todd 


Cast:  David  Niven,  Olivia  DeHavilland,  Dame 
May  Whitty,  Dudley  Digges,  Douglas  Wal- 
ton, Lionel  Pape,  E.  E.  Clive,  Peter  Godfrey, 
Margaret  Seddon,  Gilbert  Emery,  Hilda  Plow- 
right,  Vesey  O'Davoren,  George  Cathrey, 
Keith  Hitchcock. 


Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

4S  SMOOTHLY  running,  subtle,  and 
suspensive  a piece  of  filmic  detective 
machinery  as  you  will  have  seen,  but  I, 
for  one,  could  not  get  a great  deal  of 
theatric  satisfaction  out  of  it.  With  all 
the  chaos,  slaughter,  and  misery  now 
rampant  in  the  world  as  a result  of  dis- 
regard for  law,  I found  it  just  a bit 
annoying  to  be  asked  again  to  take  an 
interest  in  a crook  who  is  really  a nice 
fellow.  This  type  of  character,  how- 
ever successful  in  the  past,  seems  out  of 
joint  with  present  audience  psychology. 
This  is  my  impression.  If  you  are  an 
individual  for  whom  gentlemen  crooks 
still  hold  a fascination,  you  certainlv 
will  be  charmed  by  Mr.  Raffles,  who  is 
olayed  with  the  nth  degree  of  finesse  by 
David  Niven. 

However  deftly  screen-played  by  John 
Van  Druten  and  Sidney  Howard,  the 
story  is  without  the  asset  of  originality. 
Whether  E.  W.  Hornung’s  The  Ama- 
teur Cracksman  has  been  done  before 
on  the  screen  I cannot  recollect,  but  the 
incidents  have  a reminiscent  ring  and 
some  of  the  byplay  consists  in  cliches, 
to-wit,  “Won’t  you  be  seated?”  after 
the  detective  has  already  sat  down. 


He  Has  No  Bid  for  Sympathy 

•J  Cons’derable  endeavor  is  made  to 
humanize  Raffles,  bestowing  him  with 
a conscience,  having  him  charitable  to 
old  ladies,  having  him  resolve  to  sin 
no  more  upon  learning  of  a fair  one’s 
care  for  him,  but  I was  not  convinced, 
nor.  what  is  more,  even  inclined  to  ac- 
cept the  fellow.  I was.  as  stated,  a bit 
annoyed  at  being  asked  to  accept  his 
disregard  for  law  as  glamorous.  I am 
not  saying  that  all  crook-heroes  are 
washed  up.  But  Raffles  has  no  bid  for 
our  sympathy.  He  does  not  come  from 
under-privileged  stock;  he  is  a gentle- 
man with  a good  education  and  excel- 
lent contacts  and  perfectly  able  to  earn 
an  honest  living. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Sam  Goldwyn  has 


given  the  : u -n. 

The  backg,  . • am 

Wood’s  directic,.  „ a De- 

Havilland plays  v- 

pecting  sweetheart  of  the  ver  mce-fel- 
low-crook,  and  Dame  May  Whitty  and 
Dudley  Digges  perform  skilfully,  as  do 
several  fellow  members  of  the  cast. 

A deftly  done  crook  drama,  but  the 
hero-crook  seems  a little  outmoded  and 
a little  irritating,  what  with  the  results 
of  disregard  for  law  tragically  evident 
in  the  world  today. 

Powerful  Picture 


PCith  Poor  Title 

THOU  SHALT  NOT  KILL.  Republic  Pictures 
Associate  producer  Robert  North 

Director  John  H.  Auer 

Screen  play  Robert  Presnell 

Original  story  George  Carleton  Brown 

Production  manager  A1  Wilson 

Photographer  Jack  Marta 

Supervising  editor  Murray  Seldeen 

Film  editor  Ernest  Nims 

Art  director  John  Victor  Mackay 

Musical  director  . Cy  Feuer 

Cast:  Charles  Bickford,  Owen  Davis,  Jr.,  Doris 
Day,  Paul  Guilfoyle,  Granville  Bates,  Charles 
Waldron,  Sheila  Bromley,  George  Chandler, 
Charles  Middleton,  Emmett  Vogan,  Leona 
Roberts,  Ethel  May  Halls,  Edmund  Elton,  El- 
sie Prescott. 

Reviewed  by  Robert  Joseph 
AN  UNFORTUNATE  title  spoils  an 
/i  otherwise  splendid  picture  turned  out 
by  Republic  Pictures.  Here  is  an  effort 
that  tackles  a religious  problem  of  the 
Confessional  without  getting  mawkish 
and  sentimental  — the  usual  approach 
of  most  pictures  with  a religious  theme. 
I hou  Shalt  Not  Kill  emerges  as  a pow- 
erful picture  of  small  town  life  through 
the  efforts  of  Charles  Bickford  as  the 
kindly  and  understanding  Reverend 
Chris,  and  Owen  Davis,  Jr.  as  the  town 
rowdy  who  comes  to  a full  realization 
of  his  position  in  the  community.  Paul 
Guilfoyle  turns  in  an  admirable  per- 
formance as  a real  murderer  whose  con- 
science torments  him.  Sheila  Bromley 
is  a fine  and  capable  actress  who  should 
go  far.  She  made  a very  unsympathetic 
part  real.  Doris  Day  shows  her  lack  of 
experience,  but  more  action  before  the 
camera  should  make  her  a fine  actress. 

Good  Direction 

Director  John  Auer  did  a creditable 
job  on  this  picture,  and  turned  in  a 
moving  film.  He  seems  to  have  been 
hampered  by  some  roughish  cutting  by 
Murray  Seldeen,  and  his  story  does  not 
flow  as  smoothly  as  it  might  have  with 
additional  paring  here  and  there.  This  is 
no  reflection  of  the  director's  work,  but 
rather  an  indication  of  the  cutter’s  haste 
in  turning  out  his  work.  The  dissolves 
and  wipes  might  have  been  made  to 
better  advantage  and  overlong  scenes 
might  have  been  clipped  at  the  propi- 
tious dramatic  moment.  Auer  gave  the 
editor  the  material:  but  he  didn't  see  it. 


RAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


^)h  o and  jftA  tftakerA 


Are  We  Deaf’ 

•1  Once  more  it  proves  difficult  to  do 
justice  to  a picture  in  which  music  is 
not  only  highly  important,  as  in  the 
feature-length  Gulliver’s  Travels  (pro- 
duced by  the  Fleischer  brothers  for 
Paramount),  but  when  Victor  Young’s 
music  emphasized  the  mood  so  definite- 
ly by  means  of  tone  color.  A review  is 
rendered  difficult  because  of  that  stupid 
custom  of  playing  preview  perform- 
ances as  if  they  took  place  in  an  asylum 
for  the  deaf.  This  happened  for  the 
second  time  within  three  days  at  the 
Westwood  Village  Theatre.  Really  it 
is  high  time  the  music-makers  of  Hol- 
lywood should  do  something  about  this 
crude  way  of  trying  to  impress  a pre- 
view audience.  Are  they  afraid  indi- 
vidually to  protest?  Perhaps  they  are 
only  prudent.  But  they  should  and 
could  do  something  collectively,  I fancy, 
through  the  Academy.  This  unintelli- 
gent practice  of  playing  by  far  the  larg- 
est part  of  the  film  noisily  repeatedly 
blurred  the  dialogue.  I happened  to  at- 
tend several  of  the  Gulliver  orchestra 
recordings  (conducted  by  Young),  and 
what  was  then  cleverly  illustrative  in- 
strumentation, had  been  turned  at  length 
into  monotonous,  tinny,  raucous  clatter. 
It  was  disgusting. 

Seven  Songs 

•I  Notwithstanding  this  abominably 
vulgar  manner  of  presentation,  Gulli- 
ver's Travels  was  cordially  received 
with  laughter  and  applause  during  and 
after  the  showing.  The  impression 
would  have  been  stronger  yet,  if  some  of 
Victor  Young’s  clever  melodic  and 
rhythmic  juxtapositions  could  have  been 
heard  clearly.  I did  not  get  much  of  an 
impression  from  some  of  the  songs,  of 
which  there  are  no  less  than  seven.  It’s 
a Hap- Hap  Happy  Day  was  written  by 
Sam  Timberg,  A1  Neiburg  and  Winston 
Sharpies.  The  following  six  tunes  and 
lyrics  are  by  Rainger  and  Robins: 
Faithful,  Forever,  I Hear  a Dream, 
We’re  All  Together  Now,  All’s  Well, 
Bluebirds  In  the  Moonlight  and  Faith- 
ful Forever.  The  Hap-Hap  Happy  Day 
and  All’s  Well  are  gusty  and  readily 
appealing  tunes.  Jessica  Dragonette  was 
heard  when  Princess  Glory  sings.  She 
always  sounds  pleasing  on  the  radio  and 
no  doubt  does  on  this  occasion,  although 
her  first  song  is  spoiled  by  a queer  trem- 
olo. ,Lanny  Ross  lent  his  voice  to 
Prince  David  and  did  well. 

Music  for  Moods 

•I  Drawing  on  my  impressions  gained 
at  recordings  as  well  as  during  this  imi- 
tation of  a boiler  factory,  I give  high 
praise  to  Victor  Young  for  writing  mu- 
sic which  intensifies  the  mood  and  which 


not  merely  clicks  with  the  action  in 
Gulliver’s  Travels.  That  is  an  addi- 
tion to  music  for  cartoon  not  found 
often.  I liked  particularly  his  music  of 
the  waves,  for  the  sunrise  at  the  end  of 
the  scene  when  Gulliver  has  been  trans- 
ported to  the  palace.  Very  good,  too, 
is  the  first  alarm  music  as  Gabby  rouses 
the  town  of  Lilliput  after  he  has  found 
the  “giant.”  Amusing  and  ingenious  is 
music  when  the  Lilliputians  tie  up  and 
hoist  the  sleeping  Gulliver.  (Much  of 
this  staccato  hammering  and  bustling 
about  became  tedious  owing  to  over- 
loud  reproduction.)  Really  entertaining 
is  the  music  for  the  spies  and  for  Bom- 
bo’s  bird  messenger. 

Young  has  created  a score  of  genuine, 
original  humor,  waxing  at  times  de- 
lightfully satirical,  employing  then  or- 
chestral instruments  with  telling  effect. 
There  is  also  music  of  lyric  charm  and 
and  it  has,  as  well  as  the  comic  se- 
quences have,  a reality  of  expression 
not  usually  accompanying  animated 
scores.  Heretofore  chief  effort  most  times 
has  been  limited  to  “hitting  action  on 
the  nose,”  i.e. , split-second  accuracy  of 
timing  the  music.  But  the  entire  pro- 
duction of  Gulliver  has  rhythm  and 
phrasing,  and  of  that  I shall  speak  in  a 
later  issue.  Messrs.  Fleischer  and  Young 
have  made  a distinct  contribution  to- 
ward filmic  cartoon  art  and  cartoon  mu- 
sic of  full  feature  length. 

Rulers  of  the  Sea 

tj  Far  be  it  from  me  to  take  so  experi- 
enced and  successful  a producer-director 
as  Frank  Lloyd  to  task,  but  I believe 
strongly  that  he  has  given  his  composer, 
the  eminent  Richard  Hageman  not 
enough  scope  for  underscoring  in  Rulers 
of  the  Sea,  toning  down,  and  worse 
yet,  eliminating  music,  where,  I am  sure, 
a composer  of  Hageman’s  dramatic  sen- 
sibilities, would  have  put  some,  had  he 
been  allowed  to  do  so.  This,  of  course, 
goes  back  to  my  old  conviction,  that 
the  composer  should  sit  in  on  the  story 
and  script  conferences. 

To  my  thinking  it  is  nothing  won- 
derful to  have  the  sound-effect  depart- 
ment insert  so-called  realistic  noises  of 
pounding  waves  and  swishing  winds. 
Water  and  storm  have  a “soul,”  they 
symbolize  something  which  the  com- 
poser can  voice  while  writing  hurricane 
music  more  convincing  to  the  ear  than 
what  I would  like  to  call  sound-mon- 
tage, i.e.,  a bit  of  recorded  realism. 

I will  go  back  for  a moment  to  the 
statement  that  the  screen  is  essentially 
a pictorial  art.  No  one  can  deny  that, 
and  it  follows  then  that  the  composer 
should  be  allowed  to  be  the  sound- 
pictorialist.  What  picture-strengthening 
music  Hageman  might  have  written  if 


BY 

BRUNO  DAVID  USSHER 

music  had  taken  the  place  of  so  much 
“realistic”  engine  noise  in  the  boiler 
room  scenes! 

Too  Restrained 

<|  Right  or  wrong,  Director  Lloyd’s 
Scotch  folk  in  Rulers  of  the  Sea  are 
outwardly  curbed  of  emotion,  except  for 
matters  of  temperament  not  limited  to 
that  finely  stern  race.  That  limits  a 
composer,  especially  one  as  honest  as 
Hageman.  He  relates  his  music  as  a 
good  bookbinder  adjusts  the  all-round 
calibre  of  a binding  to  the  contents,  not 
that  music  is  an  “outside”  thing  in  re- 
lation to  the  screen. 

Hageman  has  devised  a lovely  and  at 
times  strong  score,  circumstances  per- 
mitting. He  employs  such  themes  as 
Loch  Lomond  and  My  Love  Is  Like  A 
Red,  Red  Rose,  giving  his  music  the 
tang  of  Scotland,  where  the  wind  is  per- 
fumed with  thyme  and  salt.  Some  im- 
portant scenes,  as  the  first  farewell  on 
the  dock,  are  also  left  without  music. 
On  occasions  one  gains  an  impression 
of  abrupt  picture  cutting  and  unprepar- 
ed musical  entries.  The  violin  solo  in 
the  death  scene  is  an  obviously  senti- 
mental concession  in  a score  which 
otherwise  rings  true  thematically  and 
is  orchestrated  despite  evident  subjuga- 
tions. There  is  sweeping  power,  tend- 
erness and  humor. 

A Chance  Missed 

<J  More  than  once  the  Lloyd  film  cries 
out  for  music  and  the  kind  of  music, 
humanly  embracing  and  penetrating, 
which  has  made  Hageman  one  of  the 
top-ranking  song-writers  of  today.  But 
I have  the  feeling  from  this  and  a prev- 
ious film  that  Lloyd  too  often  uses 
music  as  an  auto  manufacturer  uses 
paint  i.e.,  on  the  outside  only.  Hage- 
man has  provided  “bonny”  music,  apart 
from  actually  using  two  or  three  folk 
songs  as  Land  of  Leal,  You  Take  the 
High  Way.  His  incidental  sequences, 
too,  have  the  highland  tang.  Broad 
and  rolling  as  his  sweeping  seascapes 
are,  he  is  quaintly  droll  of  melody  and 
orchestration  in  the  humorous  scenes. 

The  girl  is  well  silhouetted  musical- 
ly in  sharp,  crisp  outlines,  and  again 
with  music  of  shyly  withheld  tender- 
ness. There  is  a catchy  whistling  tune, 
but  right  beneath  this  down-kept  music 
one  senses  suppressed  dramatic  music 
of  power.  The  storm  music  is  not  skil- 
ful fuss  and  feathers:  the  swells  and 
smash  are  real.  Hageman's  orchestra- 
tion is  distinctive  for  his  thematic 
(theme  carrying)  instruments  are  not 
overshadowed  by  general  effects  of  color 
and  mood.  His  horns  have  something 
of  the  elementary  force  of  the  sea.  There 
is  force,  too,  in  his  throbbing,  duly  lab- 
oring heaving  and  pushing  of  ship’s 
engines. 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  NINE 


Tfcuth  atuf  the  'Jutufe  cfi  the  Wwl4 


(Some  months  ago  the  Spectator 
published  a personal  letter  from  a young 
miss  who  in  her  childhood  dubbed  me 
“Uncle  Welford."  who  did  not  get  over 
it  as  she  grew  to  young  womanhood . 
and  who  would  get  in  bad  with  me  if 
she  did.  I could  do  with  even  a few 
more  netces  as  charming  and  talented  as 
Dorothea  Hagedorn.  daughter  of  Her- 
man Hagedorn.  distinguished  American 
poet  and  author,  and  my  good  friend. 
Dot  writes  me  another  letter,  so  bril- 
liant, discerning  and  timely,  I can  not 
deny  Spectator  readers  the  pleasure  of 
reading  it.  — W.B.) 

EAR  Uncle  Welford: 

We  are  still  talking  about  the  great 
time  we  had  at  your  palazzo  the  other 
evening.  I hope  you  have  recovered 
from  the  Hagedorn  avalanche.  Now 
that  we  have  our  own  place  in  Pasa- 
dena you  must  come  to  see  us  very  soon. 

To  carry  on  from  where  time  so 
rudely  interrupted  us  the  other  evening; 
it  certainly  does  seem  as  though  more 
and  more  people  were  getting  concern- 
ed about  the  youth  of  this  country.  The 
papers  are  full  of  what  the  older  gen- 
eration thinks  about  us  and  wants  for 
us  (not  to  mention  what  we  want  for 
ourselves!)  But  then  “youth"  is  a 
pretty  vague  term,  come  to  think  of  it. 
Reminds  me  of  a young  cousin  of  mine 
who  couldn't  speak  English  very  well 
and  was  trying  to  describe  a fowl  he 
had  shot:  "It’s  something  like  chicken, 
more  like  goose  — goes  quack,  quack." 

Most  Important  Thing 

<]|  Anyway,  bird,  beast  or  fowl,  the  im- 
portant thing  is  certainly  not  what  are 
we  going  to  get,  but  what  are  we  going 
to  be.  T here  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  up 
to  us  what  we  are  going  to  be  remem- 
bered for.  If  our  grandchildren  have  to 
read  about  the  theories  of  a vague  ob- 
long mass  of  demanding  humanity  in 
fifty  years  they  will  shut  up  shop.  They 
will  want  to  read  of  people  who  set 
their  eyes  on  the  impossible  and  did  not 
die  until  they  reached  it.  At  least  if 
they  are  anything  like  us.  they  will 
want  that  kind  of  ancestor.  Don't  you 
think  ? 

If  we  are  a lost  generation,  it  will 
be  our  fault  because  with  all  our  edu- 
cation we  will  not  have  learned  how  to 
think. 

When  Direction  Is  Needed 

<1  Last  summer  I was  over  at  MGM 
and  they  showed  us  a series  of  ten 
minute  shorts  of  famous  men.  It  was 
extraordinary  how  you  grasped  the  life 
of  a man  and  knew  him  at  the  end 
of  ten  minutes.  It  must  have  been  be- 
cause the  script  writer  had  caught  the 


theme  of  the  man’s  life  and  all  the  de- 
tails poured  into  the  one  service  the 
man  had  given.  It  looks  quite  simple — 
life,  doesn’t  it?  And  certain  decisions 
quite  obvious  when  you  look  at  them 
from  the  end  of  life.  But  it  is  at  this 
beginning  that  you  need  direction.  And 
yet,  I thought,  who  are  going  to  be  the 
ones  to  create  the  raw  material  to  make 
the  ten-minute  shorts  of  the  future? 
— and  the  lives  of  such  men  as  Pasteur 
and  Zola?  We  can  not  go  along  living 
off  the  deeds  of  dead  men,  no  matter 
how  great  they  were.  We  must  be  great 
ourselves. 

Pretty  Grim  Business 

<1  The  world  certainly  has  stood  on  its 
ear  since  I last  wrote  you.  Many  of 
my  friends  are  fighting.  It  must  be  a 
pretty  grim  business  being  youth  over 
there  in  Europe  now.  You  can  not 
chose  your  future  anymore.  They  have 
been  in  some  savage  battles.  ...  It 
seems  hard  to  imagine  them  - — what 
they  have  become  like.  I have  known 
them  such  a long  time  — we  climbed 
mountains  together  in  the  summer  and 
skied  together  in  the  winter,  but  after 
all  they  have  seen,  it  seems  as  though 
they  must  have  aged  a hundred  years. 
In  war  you  lose  your  youth  whether 
you  die  or  not,  I guess. 

But  the  majority  of  my  friends  over 
there  are  still  free  to  fight  in  the  other 
battle  — the  battle  for  Peace.  I have 
heard  they  constitute  a pretty  stable 
element  in  their  countries;  panic-proof 
and  propaganda-proof.  But  more  than 
that,  they  are  working  like  beavers. 
They  have  found  out  through  experi- 
ence how  labor  and  management  can 
together  build  a new  spirit  in  industry. 
They  have  found  a new  reason  for 
homes  to  be  united,  and  are  uniting 
their  own  and  others.  They  are  bind- 
ing their  people  together  to  fight  the 
enemies  within  — the  greed  and  self- 
ishness that  make  for  war.  The  whole 
idea  is  a couple  of  thousand  of  years 
old,  but  it  is  new  to  us  and  we  have 
got  a new  world  in  which  to  work  it. 

Their  Theme  for  Living 

<1  These  "youths"  have  found  their 
theme  for  living  and  are  going  at  it 
with  the  sureness  as  though  they  saw  it 
all  from  the  end.  Whether  they  will 
be  great  or  not  remains  to  be  seen.  But 
already  they  have  the  gratitude  of  lead- 
ers in  their  nations.  I wonder  if  you 
ever  met  Ole  Dorph  Jensen  when  he 
was  over  here  this  summer?  He  is  a 
young  sportsman  from  Denmark.  He 
left  here  to  go  back  to  take  part  in  the 
Scandinavian  games  when  sportsmen 
from  all  the  northern  countries  were 
going  to  take  part.  When  he  got  there 


he  discovered  that  the  v.  - had  caused 
the  officials  to  call  the  whole  thing  off. 

Ole  determined  they  would  have  the 
games  — not  for  the  sport  alone,  but 
because  it  would  be  a means  of  helping 
unite  the  Nordic  north  to  be  reconcilers 
of  the  nations.  For  weeks,  he  fought 
practically  single-handed.  He  travelled 
up  and  down  Scandinavia,  talked  with 
heads  of  committees  and  inspired  them 
to  carry  on.  The  games  were  played. 
At  the  start  men  from  rival  clubs  spoke 
to  the  throngs.  They  said  that  if  the 
north  were  truly  to  be  "reconcilers  of 
the  nations”  they  would  have  to  start 
at  home  and  be  reconciled  themselves. 
Representatives  from  each  country  spoke, 
calling  for  the  same  qualities  in  nation- 
al life  as  were  demanded  in  sports.  The 
press  was  moved  and  the  event  stirred 
the  north. 

One  Boy's  Good  Work 

<J  Another  boy,  a Swiss,  who  was  here 
this  summer,  the  husband  of  one  of 
my  best  friends,  was  mobilized  the  day 
he  was  married.  News  has  been  coming 
over  how  he  is  transforming  the  spirit 
in  his  section  of  the  frontier.  The 
problem  of  monotony  which  led  in  the 
last  war  to  demoralization,  has  become 
an  opportunity  for  them  to  gain  a new 
spirit  of  honesty  and  unselfishness  in 
their  lives  — through  this  boy  — and 
they  are  using  their  weeks  and  months 
of  waiting  as  a chance  to  think  for  their 
country.  When  they  are  free  they  will 
have  a program  for  their  nation. 

It  does  seem  as  though  some  people 
step  quite  easily  into  heroism.  In  war 
it  is  not  the  money  we  can  make,  but 
what  we  do  for  the  other  fellow  that 
wins  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  Maybe  if 
we  began  living  that  way  here  before 
war  forced  it  on  us,  we  would  change 
the  world. 

Have  Time  to  Think 

<fl  I was  talking  to  a man  the  other 
night  who  has  just  come  from  Eng- 
land. It  was  hard  for  him  to  get  used 
to  the  thinking  out  here  on  the  Coast. 
“You  are  like  an  island,"  he  said.  “You 
still  have  time  to  think  sanely.  You 
still  have  time  to  do  the  kind  of  think- 
ing that  can  save  yourselves  and  us, 
too." 

Well,  that  certainly  puts  the  baby  in 
our  laps.  Everybody  else  is  fighting  for 
his  skin.  We  have  got  to  fight  for  their 
spirit  and  ours,  I guess.  Each  genera- 
tion has  had  to  fight  some  kind  of  bat- 
tle: the  revolution,  the  wilderness,  the 
laws  of  nature.  Well,  ours  is  the  great- 
est battle  of  all  — this  battle  for  a last- 
ing peace. 

That  is  all  for  this  time.  See  you 
soon.  — Dot. 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


jue  Cam  Se  tjta<fe  am  rfjJet 


HAI  too  much  dialogue  in  pictures 
is  poison  for  film  box-offices,  is  one 
of  the  Spectator’s  firm  convictions.  But, 
like  any  other  element  in  a screen  pro- 
duction, if  presented  intelligently,  dia- 
logue can  add  greatly  to  its  entertain- 
ment quality. 

Rarely  does  the  screen  today  at- 
tempt to  please  us  with  the  high  art 
possible  for  spoken  literature  to  attain. 
We  are  surfeited  with  the  censored  im- 
precations of  gangsters,  the  standard- 
ized utterances  of  screen  shadows  in 
love,  the  “dese,”  and  ”dems”  and 
"doses”  of  people  who  talk  that  way, 
and  in  almost  every  instance  you  will 
find  the  story  overloaded  with  such 
talk  is  one  which  would  have  made 
more  impressive  entertainment  if  it  had 
been  written  for  the  camera  instead  of 
for  the  microphone.  The  trouble  with 
the  screen  today  is  that  it  is  thinking 
in  terms  of  talk,  but  not  in  terms  of 
what  it  says.  The  talk  which  is  in- 
cluded as  an  integral  element  of  a screen 
creation  does  not  have  to  be  standard- 
ized. Let  us  consider  some  pictures. 
One  easy  to  recall  is  My  Man  Godfrey. 
What  speech  in  it  can  you  remember? 

I can  remember  none,  and  I saw  it 
three  times.  It  was  so  delightfully 
nonsensical,  so  downright  crazy,  its 
mood  so  admirably  sustained  by  the 
brilliant  direction  of  Gregory  La  Cava 
and  the  clever  performances  of  Carole 
Lombard,  William  Powell  and  other 
members  of  the  cast,  what  the  char- 
acters said  was  merely  an  articulated 
part  of  an  amusing  scene.  We  remem- 
ber the  whole  scene  but  cannot  recall 
the  lines  which  were  a part  of  it.  That 
is  one  legitimate  use  of  audible  dialogue 
in  a screen  production — its  use  more 
as  sound  effect  than  as  something  en- 
tertaining by  virtue  of  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  worded. 

Beauty  of  the  Language 

•J  Rembrandt , an  English  picture  pro- 
duced and  directed  by  Alexander  Korda, 
talented  European  whose  ability  was 
not  recognized  when  he  was  trying  to 
gain  a foothold  in  Hollywood  produc- 
tion circles,  provides  an  illuminating 
illustration  of  the  legitimate  use  of  dia- 
logue for  the  sake  of  its  literary  beauty 
and  as  an  element  in  characterizing  a 
player.  Charles  Laughton,  playing  Rem- 
brandt van  Rijn,  delivers  a speech  of 
two  hundred  and  nine  words,  contain- 
ing story  value  which  he  could  have  ex- 
pressed in  three:  "I  love  Saskia.”  But 

such  a brief  statement  would  not  have 
matched  the  mood  of  the  scene  or  given 
full  expression  to  the  feelings  stirring 
him.  In  a low  tone,  speaking  more  to 
himself  than  to  the  gay  throng  sur- 
rounding him,  Rembrandt  pays  a beau- 


tiful tribute  to  Saskia,  his  wife,  credit- 
ing her  with  the  combined  virtues  of  all 
women:  “A  creature,  half-child,  half- 

woman, half-angel,  half-lover,  brushed 
against  him,  and  of  sudden  he  knew 
that  when  one  woman  gives  herself  to 
you,  you  possess  all  women — women  of 
every  age  and  race  and  kind — and,  more 
than  that,  the  moon,  the  stars,  all  mir- 
acles and  legends  are  yours:  the  brown- 
skinned girls  who  inflame  your  senses 
with  their  play;  the  cool,  yellow-haired 
women  who  entice  and  escape  you;  the 
gentle  ones  who  serve  you:  the  slender 
ones  who  torment  you;  the  mothers 
who  bore  and  suckled  you — all  women 
whom  God  created  out  of  the  teeming 
fullness  of  the  earth  are  yours  in  the 
love  of  one  woman.  Throw  a purple 
mantle  lightly  over  her  shoulders,  and 
she  becomes  a Queen  of  Sheba,  lay  your 
tousled  head  blindly  upon  her  breast, 
and  she  is  a Delilah  waiting  to  enthrall 
you.  Take  her  garments  from  her,  strip 
the  last  veil  from  her  body,  and  she  is 
a chaste  Susanne  covering  her  nakedness 
with  fluttering  hands.  Gaze  upon  her 
as  you  would  gaze  upon  a thousand 
strange  women,  but  never  call  her  yours 
— for  her  secrets  are  inexhaustible;  you 
will  never  know  them  all.  Call  her  by 
one  name  only;  I call  her  Saskia.” 
(The  Rembrandt  dialogue  was  written 
by  Lojos  Biro  and  Arthur  Winteris.) 

Why  He  Played  the  Tuba 

A sustained  speech  by  Gary  Cooper 
in  Mr.  Deeds  Goes  to  I own  has  defin- 
ite story  value,  and  its  length  is  justi- 
fied by  the  homespun  philosophy  writ- 
ten into  it  by  Robert  Riskin  and  the 
intelligent  reading  given  it  by  Cooper. 
Defending  himself  in  court  when  his 
sanity  is  questioned,  one  of  the  counts 
against  him  being  his  playing  of  the 
tuba  under  circumstances  which  his  ac- 
cusers claim  point  to  his  lack  of  mental 
balance,  Mr.  Deeds  speaks:  "About  my 
playing  the  tuba — seems  like  a lot  of 
fuss  has  been  made  about  that.  If  a 
man's  crazy  just  ’cause  he  plays  the 
tuba,  somebody  better  look  into  it, 
’cause  there  are  a lot  of  tuba  players 
running  around  loose.  Of  course,  I 
don't  see  any  harm  in  it.  I play  mine 
whenever  I want  to  concentrate. 

"That  may  sound  funny  to  some 
people,  but  most  everybody  does  some- 
thing silly  when  they’re  thing.  For  in- 
stance, the  Judge  here  is  an  O-filler.  . . . 
You  fill  in  all  the  spaces  in  the  O’s  with 
your  pencil.  I was  watching  you.  That 
may  make  you  look  a little  crazy,  Your 
Honor,  just  sitting  around  filling  in 
O’s,  but  I don’t  see  anything  wrong. 
’Cause  that  helps  you  think.  Other 
people  are  doodlers.  . . . That’s  a name 
we  made  up  back  home  for  people  who 
make  foolish  designs  on  paper  while 


they’re  thinking.  It’s  called  doodling. 
Most  everybody  is  a doodler.  Did  you 
ever  see  a scratch  pad  in  a telephone 
booth?  People  draw  the  most  idiotic 
pictures  when  they’re  thinking.  Dr. 
Fraser  here  would  probably  think  up 
a long  name  for  it,  ’cause  he  doodles 
all  the  time.  If  Dr.  Fraser  has  to 
doodle  to  help  him  think,  that's  his 
business  — everybody  does  something 
different.  Some  people  are  . . . ear-pull- 
ers, some  are  nail-biters.  That  man 
there — Mr.  Semple — is  a nose-twitcher. 
The  lady  with  him  is  a knuckle-cracker. 
So  you  see,  Your  Honor,  everybody 
does  funny  things  to  help  them  think. 
Well,  I play  the  tuba.” 

Won  the  Academy  Award 

<1  Not  often  even  in  a stage  play  com- 
posed entirely  of  speeches,  and  still 
more  rarely  in  a talking  picture,  is  one 
unbroken  speech  of  such  length  written 
for  a player.  Subjecting  audiences  to 
the  necessity  of  sustained  listening  for 
such  a long  period  is  not  good  crafts- 
manship. Both  on  the  stage  and  in  pic- 
tures the  device  usually  resorted  to  to 
elicit  essential  facts  of  a witness’s  testi- 
mony in  the  trial  of  a case,  is  a ques- 
tion - and  - answer  exchange  between 
counsel  and  witness.  Such  device  could 
have  been  employed  in  Mr.  Deeds.  It 
was  available  to  both  Riskin,  writer  of 
the  screen  play,  and  Frank  Capra,  di- 
rector of  the  picture.  For  his  masterly 
cinematic  interpretation  of  the  story 
of  Deeds,  its  director,  Frank  Capra,  re- 
ceived from  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences,  the  award 
for  the  best  direction  of  1936.  A big 
factor  in  his  selection  no  doubt  was  the 
manner  in  which  he  handed  the  scene 
in  which  Cooper  makes  his  long  speech. 
Capra  presents  the  speech  with  a reliev- 
ing accompaniment  of  pertinent  action. 

When  Cooper  charges  the  judge  with 
being  a doodler,  there  is  a burst  of 
laughter  by  the  audience,  stimulated  in- 
to increased  volume  an  instant  later  by 
the  reaction  of  the  surprised  judge.  And 
so  it  goes  throughout  the  entire  speech. 
Even  though  it  is  not  interrupted  by 
another  voice,  it  is  not  a speech  which 
demands  sustained  listening  by  the  audi- 
ence. Laughter  bubbles  up  along  its  en- 
tire course.  In  essence  a man  defending 
himself  against  an  accusation  of  mental 
incompetency,  presents  a spectacle  lack- 
ing in  all  suggestion  of  mirth-provok- 
ing elements.  But  here  the  audience  is 
not  laughing  at  Mr.  Deeds;  it  is  laugh- 
ing with  him  as  he  neatly  turns  the 
tables  on  his  accusers,  who,  as  the  audi- 
ence is  aware,  are  endeavoring  to  get 
control  of  his  fortune. 

Why  the  Devil  Is  a Sissy 

•J  Another  legitimate  use  of  audible  dia- 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


logue  is  demonstrated  in  The  Devil  Is 
a Sissy,  directed  by  W.  S.  Van  Dyke; 
the  story  by  Rowland  Brown  and  the 
screen  play  by  John  Lee  Mahin  and 
Richard  Schayer.  It  really  is  a moral 
preachment  aimed  at  boys,  but  so  well 
presented  it  was  received  with  satisfac- 
tion by  adult  audiences.  Although  the 
titles  of  the  majority  of  pictures  are 
catch-phrases  bearing  little  relation  to 
anything  in  the  stories,  in  this  case 
the  title  has  significance.  It  is  a provo- 
cative title.  What  does  it  mean?  is  a 
question  one  who  views  the  picture 
would  ask.  No  creation  of  any  art 
should  suggest  a question  it  does  not 
answer  if  it  is  to  preserve  the  perfect 
unity,  the  completeness  within  itself, 
all  creations  must  possess  to  be  worthy 
examples  of  their  arts.  The  title  of 
The  Devil  Is  a Sissy  prompts  a ques- 
tion and  its  dialogue  answers  it.  The 
judge  of  the  juvenile  court,  played  with 
understanding  and  sympathy  by  Jona- 
than Hale,  has  an  informal  and  friendly 
chat  with  three  boys  brought  before 
him  on  charges  of  having  stolen  some 
toys.  As  part  of  the  intimate  scene, 
we  hear  the  judge:  “That’s  what  makes 
a fellow  tough — to  be  able  to  take  it. 
You  wouldn't  want  anybody  to  call 
you  a little  devil,  would  you?  That’s 
what  they  say  about  bad  little  sissies 
who  act  naughty  when  they  can’t  have 
their  own  way.  . . . By  the  way,  the 
devil’s  a weak  sister.  You  know  that, 
don't  you?  Because  he  was  an  angel 
once  . . . and  an  angel  has  to  be  tough 
to  do  his  job,  and  the  devil  couldn’t  be 
tough  enough  so  they  threw  him  out — 
and  he’s  been  hiding  down  below  ever 
since.  You  know,  I think  the  devil  is  a 
sissy." 

Talking  Has  Limited  Market 

<]J  From  this  speech  by  the  judge  we 
learn  the  title  is  the  text  of  the  sermon 
the  whole  picture  preaches.  It  is  another 
legitimate  use  of  dialogue  and  as  it  is 
presented  in  an  easy,  conversational 
manner,  it  is  assimilated  by  the  audi- 
ence without  intellectual  effort.  Laugh- 
ton’s speech  has  emotional  appeal  and 
Cooper's  appeals  principally  to  that 
sense  which  provides  us  with  the  ut- 
most relaxation — our  sense  of  humor. 

One  cannot  quarrel  with  the  film  in- 
dustry for  offering  for  sale  pictures  de- 
manding purely  intellectual  digestion, 
which  expound  philosophical  and  psy- 
chological problems.  There  is  a mar- 
ket for  them,  but  it  is  an  extremely 
limited  one  as  compared  with  that  for 
emotional  entertainment.  It  so  happens 
that  the  vast  majority  of  stories  the  in- 
dustry has  filmed  since  the  screen  be- 
came articulate,  would  have  provided 
more  satisfactory  entertainment  and 
commanded  a wider  market  if  they  had 
been  entrusted  to  the  camera  instead  of 
to  the  microphone  for  their  interpreta- 
tion. 


ThU  Mcllbfumd 

SCENES  THAT  AREN'T  THERE 

DMINISTRATION  offices  of  our 
picture  plants  would  do  well  to  ex- 
ercise some  regulation  over  the  dissem- 
ination of  publicity  stills  which  picture 
scenes  from  productions  not  finally  edit- 
ed. I have  seen  in  magazines  views  of 
several  scenes  from  Mister  Smith  Goes 
to  Washington  which  were  nowhere  to 
be  seen  in  the  picture  as  it  was  released. 
One  reveals  James  Stewart,  in  leather 
jacket,  receiving  Politician  Guy  Kibbee 
in  the  young  man’s  home,  a boy’s  band 
forming  the  background.  Incidentally, 
this  episode  of  the  young  fellow’s  re- 
action to  being  informed  of  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  Senate,  should  have  been 
left  in.  I felt  the  lack  of  it  when  seeing 
the  film. 

Another  publicity  still  presents  Stew- 
art, attired  in  frock  coat  and  wing  col- 
lar, riding  in  an  automobile  with  a 
charmer.  Not  a flattering  impression  of 
Hollywood  production  methods  must 
the  general  public  get  when  it  is  pre- 
sented with  evidence  that  whole  scenes 
are  planned  and  filmed,  only  to  be  left 
out.  Some  patrons  may  even  feel  they 
have  been  “gipped.’’  At  least  they  can- 
not be  expected  to  view  the  evident  de- 
letions with  the  same  charity  as  we  of 
the  film  city,  who  know  that  the  best 
structure  for  a picture  cannot  definitely 
be  decided  upon  in  advance  of  shooting. 
Which  is  not  to  say  that  in  many  cases 
of  drastic  cutting  the  expense  of  filming 
the  unused  scenes  could  not  have  been 
largely  avoided  by  more  careful  plan- 
ning during  the  writing  stage. 

* * * 

Got  the  Wrong  Idea 

GOOD  story  is  going  around  grow- 
ing out  of  the  publicity  campaign 
attending  the  Gone  With  the  Wind  pre- 
miere in  Atlanta.  Seems  that  one  news- 
paper was  so  whole-heartedly  behind  the 
staging  of  the  premiere  that  it  ran  a 
banner  headline  proclaiming  “Gable  Is 
Coming.”  An  old  negro  was  thrown 
into  an  utter  frenzy.  Having  misread 


HOLLYWOOD  DOG 
TRAINING  SCHOOL 


Carl  Spitz,  0<wner 
Fritz  Bache,  Manager 


Phone  12350  Riverside  Drive 

North  Holly.  1262  No.  Hollywood,  Calif. 


},  .dfl 

BY  i ‘A 

BERT  KAilLtN 

the  headline,  he"'ttk>  j'  wa 

coming. 

* * * 

AN  ACTRESS  REBELS 

/OAN  BENNE  TT  is  certainly  entitled 
to  a peev  against  Hal  Roach  and  the 
United  Artist  people  for  the  advertising 
they  put  out  for  The  Housekeeper  s 
Daughter,  which  miss  was  characterized 
in  lilting  verse  as  one  who  does  things 
she  “hadn’t  oughter.”  The  advertising 
matter  struck  a low  in  bad  taste,  and 
was  misrepresentative  too,  a factor  fur- 
ther to  the  detriment  of  both  the  player 
and  the  producer.  Miss  Bennett’s  essay- 
al  was  anything  but  torrid,  and  even 
sensation  seekers  do  not  like  being  dis- 
appointed. It  is  said  the  actress  has 
written  letters  to  26,000  women’s  clubs 
asking  that  they  boycott  the  film,  and 
threatens  a law  suit  unless  the  house- 
keeper’s daughter’s  asserted  attributes 
are  amended. 


5ft 

ANOTHER  CYCLE  HERALDED 

A RELIGIOUS  cycle  is  apparently  be- 
/l  ginning  in  film  production,  launched, 
producers  contend,  because  the  world 
seeks  spiritual  guidance  and  reassurance 
in  these  troublous  times.  At  least  two 
productions  are  definitely  set,  Queen  of 
Oueens,  to  be  made  by  DeMille,  and  The 
Great  Commandment , to  be  remade  by 
Twentieth  Centurv-Fox  with  substan- 
tially the  same  staff  that  turned  out  the 
recent  Cathedral  production.  There 
should  have  been  religious  cycles  all 
along,  for  purely  commercial  reasons,  if 
for  no  other.  Thousands  of  church- 
goers could  have  been  won  into  more 
frequent  attendance  of  film  theatres  if 
their  interests  were  administered  to. 


The  Bookplate 

AN  IDEAL 

BIRTHDAY  OR 

ANNIVERSARY  PRESENT 

DESIGNS  MADE  TO  ORDER  BY 


533  S.  St.  Andrews,  Los  Angeles  - EX.  9105 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


BY 

INA  ROBERTS 


./  ^ anels 


<J  From  ai  a.. is  of  the  country  come 

reqr  sts  for  our  panels.  Mrs.  Francis  J. 
Waindle,  Motion  Picture  Chairman  for 
the  Illinois  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs,  sends  the  following  inspiring 
message,  enclosed  with  a Christmas 
card:  "Dear  Mrs.  Roberts:  If  grateful 
thoughts  could  build  up  a treasury  of 
any  value,  you  would  indeed  be  wealthy. 
Your  panels  have  done  splendid  service 
in  the  Chicago  area.  Your  October  and 
November  panels  have  been  displayed  in 
fifteen  clubs  and  two  libraries.  Thank 
you  heartily.  Cordially  yours,  Mary 
Waindle." 

Japanese  Boys'  Town 

Cfl  Comes  from  Japan  a reaction  to  the 
film  Boys'  Town.  Horie  Nagasada 
heads  a group  of  business  men  financing 
a city  for  boys  near  Tokyo  fashioned 
after  Father  Flanagan’s  famous  organ- 
ization in  Omaha.  This  Japanese  school 
for  boys’  project  is  a direct  outgrowth 
of  the  picture.  Norman  Taurog,  who 
directed  Boys’  Town,  has  received  a let- 
ter from  Nagasada,  asking  for  helpful 
information.  Taurog  has  forwarded 
the  letter  to  Father  Flanagan. 

This  incident  shows  that  moving 
pictures  are  finding  their  real  mission  in 
life,  which  is  to  inspire.  Of  course  this 
must  be  done  through  entertainment,  a 
fact  that  helps  rather  than  hinders  the 
inspiration  to  find  its  mark  in  the  minds 
of  audiences.  Never  was  more  hilarious 
comedy  provided  than  in  You  Can't 
Take  It  With  You,  yet  what  we  all 
took  home  with  us  was  the  lesson  con- 
tained in  the  title. 

Mice  On  the  Set — Oh,  No! 

•fl  For  obvious  reasons,  a bird  was  sub- 
stituted for  the  mouse  in  Of  Mice  and 
Men.  When  master-minds  told  Direc- 
tor Milestone  he  would  also  have  to 
change  the  title,  he  solved  the  problem 
by  prefacing  the  film  with  the  Burns 
poem  in  which  appears  the  line  that 
suggested  Steinbeck’s  title — "the  best 
laid  schemes  o’  mice  and  men  gang  aft 
agley." 

Hands  Across  the  Border 

CJ  Northwest  Mounted  Police,  the  de 
Mille  production  now  in  preparation, 
will  deal  with  the  so-called  Riel  Rebel- 
lion of  1885  and  will  introduce  a Texas 
Ranger  into  the  territory  of  the  Mount- 
ed Police.  Mr.  de  Mille  says  "the  story 
sticks  to  history  in  both  letter  and 
spirit,  the  wishes  of  the  Canadian  gov- 
ernment and  the  Mounted  Police  have 
been  respected  and  the  story  also  gives 
both  sides  of  the  Rebellion.  One  of  the 
principal  themes  is  the  friendship  and 


cooperation  between  Canada  and  the 
United  States. 

Boat  Modelers,  Attention 

For  their  coming  film,  The  Sea  Hawk, 
Warners  have  built  the  largest  craft  ever 
fashioned  in  a film  city.  The  Falcon, 
135  feet  long,  with  a 30  foot  beam, 
four  decks  and  a full  fore  and  aft  sail- 
ing rig,  stands  on  its  ways  in  the  car- 
pentry mills  at  Warner  Bros.  Studio, 
awaiting  its  formal  launching.  Another 
ship,  a Spanish  craft,  will  be  built  for 
the  film. 

Hands  Across  the  Sea 

CjJ  Bringing  England  to  Hollywood  for 
The  Earl  of  Chicago,  starring  Robert 
Montgomery,  required  1827  items  for 
interior  decoration  and  more  than  3000 
props.  The  film  shows  33  English  sets, 
including  a mythical  Gorley  Castle  and 
such  historic  settings  as  the  House  of 
Lords  and  the  Tower  of  London.  The 
Tower  of  London  set  was  re-created, 
even  to  the  headsman’s  block  and  the 
placques  showing  the  site  of  the  execu- 
tion of  Anne  Boleyn,  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
the  Earl  of  Essex  and  other  notables. 
The  House  of  Lords,  pictured  for  the 
first  time  on  the  screen,  required  369 
props,  each  important  to  depicting  the 
colorful  ceremony,  ritual  and  traditions 
of  the  famed  governing  body. 

Poor  Mickey! 

After  learning  the  Continental  tele- 
graph code  in  connection  with  his  role 
in  Young  Tom  Edison,  Mickey  Rooney 
learned  that  this  code  came  into  existence 
with  the  use  of  wireless,  so  Mickey  went 
to  work  to  learn  the  Morse  code. 

Lesson  Not  "Gone  With  the  Wind" 

Something  to  take  home  from  this 
film  is  the  realization  that,  through  her 
many  faults,  the  dominant  characteristic 
of  Scarlett  stands  out  with  striking 
beauty.  The  supreme  trait  was  her 
never-failing  ability  to  meet  what  came, 
carrying  on  with  splendid  courage  and 
daring.  Meeting  the  Challenge  of  Life 
and  books  of  similar  import  are  appro- 
priate for  display  in  connection  with  the 
filmed  Gone  With  the  Wind.  The  con- 
nection will  not  be  missed  by  audiences 
and  Scarlett's  indominable  and  instant 
reaction  to  calamity  will  prove  an  in- 
spiration to  others  beset  by  minor  trage- 
dies:; there  could  scarcely  be  greater 
trials  than  Scarlett  endured  and  solved 
with  colors  flying. 

Systematic  Film  Cooperation 

C[  Libraries  wishing  to  increase  the  read- 
ing of  connecting  books  will  do  well  to 
make  film  cooperation  systematic  and 
constructive.  One  of  the  essential  points 


is  to  keep  posted  on  future  films  in  order 
to  have  extra  copies  of  their  connecting 
books  ready  for  circulation  to  coinside 
with  the  local  appearance  of  the  film. 
For  this  reason,  the  list  of  films,  group- 
ed under  "Current,”  "Coming,"  and 
"In  Production"  to  be  found  in  this 
"Books  and  Films  Department,"  will  be 
found  extremely  useful.  In  addition 
managers  of  theatres  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  library  should  be  contacted. 
Once  their  cooperation  is  secured,  care 
should  be  taken  to  help  the  theatres  in 
every  way  consistent  with  the  Library’s 
policy  as  a non-commercial  organiza- 
tion. An  important  way  of  doing  this 
is  to  post  displays  and  distribute  film 
bookmarks  somewhat  in  advance  of  lo- 
cal showings.  The  time  the  manager 
needs  your  aid  is  just  before  and  during 
the  time  the  film  in  question  is  showing 
in  his  theatre;  he  will  repay  you  by 
booking  more  films  with  which  you  can 
cooperate. 

CURRENT  FILMS 

Batata  ka  — Play  by  Eric  Maschwitz : 

Nelson  Eddy,  Ilona  Massey,  released 
12-30.  MGM 

Charlie  McCarthy , Detective — Edgar  Ber- 
gen. Charlie  McCarthy.  Mortimer  Snerd  ; 
released  12-23.  Univ. 

Drums  Along  the  Mohawk — Novel  by 
Walter  Edmonds;  Henry  Fonda,  Claud- 
ette Colbert.  20th-Fox 

Everything  Happens  At  Night — Sonja 

Henie,  RayMilland;  released  12-22.  20th-Fox 
Gentleman  from  Arizona — Cinecolor-film- 
ed  in  Arizona:  J.  Farrell  MacDonald. 

Joan  Barclay.  Craig  Reynolds.  Mono. 

Gone  With  the  Wind — Novel  by  Mar- 
garet Mitchell;  Leslie  Howard,  Vivien 
Leigh,  Clark  Gable,  Olivia  de  Havil- 
land.^  MGM 

Great  Victor  Herbert — Mary  Martin,  Al- 
lan Jones;  released  12-29.  Para. 

Green  Hell — Screen  play  by  Frances  Mar- 
ion; Douglas  Fairbanks,  Jr.,  Joan  Ben- 
nett; released  1-27.  Univ. 

Gulliver’s  Travels — Story  by  Jonathan 
Swift;  Max  Fleischer  feature  cartoon; 
released  12-23.  RKO 

Hunchback  of  Notre  Dame — Novel  by 
Hugo;  Charles  Laughton,  Maureen 
O'Hara,  Walter  Hampden,  Sir  Cecil 
Hardwicke,  Edmond  O’Brien.  Minna 
Gombell ; released  12-30.  RKO 

Judge  Hardy  and  Son — Hardy  Family; 

released  12-23.  MGM 

Mr.  Smith  Goes  to  Washington — Con- 
tinues adventures  of  Mr.  Deeds : Jean 
Arthur.  James  Stewart.  Claude  Rains. 

Guy  Kibbee,  Eugene  Pallete-;  released 
10-21.  Col. 

Private  Lives  of  Elizabeth  and  Essex — 
based  on  play  Elizabeth,  the  Queen,  by 
Maxwell  Anderson:  released  11-11.  Warnei 
Swanee  River — Life  of  Stephen  Foster 
and  life  of  E.  P.  Christy,  minstrel  man: 
technicolor;  Don  Ameche,  Al  Jolson. 

Andrea  Leeds:  released  1-5.  20th-Fox 

We  Are  Not  Alone — Novel  by  Hilton: 

released  11-25.  Warner 

COMING  FILMS 

Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois — Play  by  Robert 
Sherwood;  Raymond  Massey,  Gene 
Lockhart.  RKO 


JANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


Adventures  In  Diamonds — Locale.  Kim- 
berley Mines;  George  Brent,  Isa  Mir- 
anda. Nigel  Bruce;  released  2-11.  Para. 

At  Good  Old  Siwash — Novel  by  George 

Fitch.  Para. 

Brother  Rat  and  the  Baby — Story  by 
Monk  and  Finklehoffe:  Eddie  Albert, 

Jane  Bryan,  Priscilla  Lane;  released 
1-13.  Warner 

Years  Without  Days — Formerly  City  of 
Lost  Men.  and  20.000  Years  In  Sing 
Sing;  story  by  Warden  Lawes;  John 
Garfield.  Warner 

Earl  of  Chicago — Story  by  Brock  Wil- 
liams: Robert  Montgomery.  MGM 

Fighting  69th — Story  by  Father  Francis 
Duffy;  Pat  O'Brien.  Jane  Bryan;  re- 
leased 1-27.  Warner 

Grapes  of  Wrath — Novel  by  John  Stein- 
beck; Henry  Fonda,  Jane  Darwell, 

Doris  Bondon.  Zeffie  Tilbury,  Charlie 
Grapewin;  released  2-2.  20th-Fox 

Hts  Girl  Friday — Adapted  from  play, 

The  Front  Page,  by  Hecht  and  Mac- 
Arthur;  Cary  Grant,  Rosalind  Russell. 

Gene  Lockhart;  released  1-20.  Col. 

I Married  Adventure — Filmed  in  Africa; 

Mrs.  Osa  Martin:  released  1-27.  Col. 

Invisible  Stripes — Based  on  story  by  War- 
den Lawes;  handicaps  confronting  re- 
leased prisoners:  George  Raft.  William 
Holden,  Humphrey  Bogart.  Jane  Bry- 
an. Warner 

Life  of  Dr.  Ehrlich — Edward  G.  Robin- 
son. Warner 

Light  That  Failed — Novel  by  Kipling: 

Ronald  Colman.  Muriel  Angelus,  Ida 
Lupino:  released  2-3-40. 

Little  Old  New  York— Alice  Faye,  Rich- 
ard Greene;  released  4-5.  20th-Fox 

Married  and  In  Love — Based  on  Distant 
Fields;  play  by  S.  K.  Laurens;  Ginger 
Rogers.  Alan  Marshall:  released  1.20.  RKO 
Northwest  Passage  — Novel  by  Kenneth 
Roberts:  Spencer  Tracy,  Wallace  Beery, 


Robert  Taylor.  MGM 

Of  Mice  and  Men — Play  by  John  Stein- 
beck. U.A. 

1 .000 ,000  B.  C. — Released  February.  U.A. 

Parole  Fixer — Formerly  Federal  Offense; 
based  on  articles  by  J.  Edgar  Hoover; 
rtle'sed  2-2.  Para. 

Pinocchio — Juvenile  by  C.  Collodi;  fea- 
ture cartoon;  Walt  Disney.  RKO 

Rebecca — Novel  by  Daphne  Du  Maurier; 

released  1-20.  U.A. 

Remember  the  Night — Novel  by  Rebecca 
West;  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Fred  Mac- 
Murray;  released  1-19.  Para. 

Safari — Madeleine  Carroll.  Douglas  Fair- 
banks, Jr.:  released  6-14. 


Seventeen — Novel  by  Tarkington;  Jackie 
Cooper,  Betty  Field,  Otto  Kruger;  re- 
leased 3-1.  Para. 

Shop  Around  the  Corner — Margaret  Sul- 
lavan,  Frank  Morgan.  James  Stewart; 
released  1-20.  MGM 

Sidewalks  of  London — Formerly  London 
After  Dark,  and  St.  Martin's  Lane; 
made  in  England;  Charles  Laughton, 

Vivien  Leigh.  Para. 

Swiss  Family  Robinson — Book  by  Wyss; 

Tim  Holt.  Terry  Kilburn,  Freddie  Bar- 
tholomew. Edna  Best:  released  1-20.  RKO 
Thou  Shalt  Not  Kill — Charles  Bickford. 

Owen  Davis.  Jr..  Doris  Day.  Repub. 

Vigil  In  the  Night — Novel  by  A.  J. 
Cronin;  Brian  Aherne,  Carole  Lom- 
bard; released  2-16.  RKO 

Virginia  City — Technicolor;  Errol  Flynn. 

Brenda  Marshall,  Frank  McHugh.  Warner 

Young  As  You  Feel — Sixteenth  Jones 

family  film;  released  2-9.  20th-Fox 

Young  Tom  Edison — -Mickey  Rooney, 

Virginia  Weidler,  Victor  Killian.  MGM 

IN  PRODUCTION 

And  It  All  Came  True — Story  by  Louis 
Bromfield:  George  Raft.  Ann  Sheridan. 
Humphrey  Bogart.  Jeffrey  Lynn.  Warner 

Arizona — Novel  by  C.  B.  Kelland;  tech- 
nicolor. Col. 

Arouse  and  Beware — Novel  by  MacKinlay 
Kantor:  Wallace  Beery,  Dolores  del 

Rio.  John  Howard.  H.  B.  Warner.  MGM 
Bill  of  Divorcement — Play  by  Clemence 
Dane:  Maureen  O’Hara.  Adolphe  Men- 
jou.  Fay  Bainter.  RKO 

The  Bluebird- — Play  by  Maurice  Maeter- 
linck: technicolor:  Shirley  Temple;  re- 
leased 3-1.  20th-Fox 

Chasing  Trouble — Frankie  Darro,  Mar- 
jorie Reynolds.  Mono. 

Dark  Command — Novel  by  W.  R.  Bur- 
nett; Walter  Pidgeon.  Claire  Trevor. 

John  Wayne.  Repub 

Daughters  of  Today — Rochelle  Hudson. 

Glenn  Ford.  Col 

Five  Little  Peppers  Midway — Second  in 

series;  Edith  Fellows.  Col. 

Florian — Novel  by  Felix  Salten ; Robert 

Young.  MGM 

Forty  L’ttle  Mothers — Novel  by  Edward 
Fadiman:  Eddie  Onton,  Rita  John- 
son. Bonita  Granville.  MGM 

Front  Page  Lady  — Novel  by  Charles 
Williams;  espionage  in  United  States; 
Gertrude  Michael,  Warren  Hull.  Mono. 

Irene — Musical  comedy  hit:  screen  play 
by  Alice  Duer  Miller:  Anna  Neagle, 

Ray  Milland:  released  4-5.  RKO 


FOR  YOUR 
CONVENIENCE 


Liti 


Fox 


U.A. 


Col. 

rr;o 


RKO 


Finest  \ PKO 

Man  Who  *v->  »'  r 

worthy  Hal.  a t 
Mae  Marsh,  Llo  No 
My  Son.  My  Son  -No* 

Spring;  Brian  Ahi rne,  Li  /ward. 

Music  In  My  Heart-  -Formei.,  assjiort 
to  Happiness;  Rita  Hayworth.  Kostel- 
anetz  Orchestra.  Edith  Fellows,  Alan 
Mowbray. 

My  Favorite  Wife — Cary  Grant,  Irene 
Dunne. 

Primrose  Path — Based  on  novel,  Febru- 
ary Hill,  by  Victoria  Lincoln;  Ginger 
Rogers,  Joel  McCrea. 

Strange  Cargoes — Formerly  Not  Too  Nar- 
row. Not  Too  Deep — Story  by  Rich- 
ard Sale;  Melvyn  Douglas.  Joan  Craw- 
ford. MGM 

Three  Cheers  for  the  Irish  — Priscilla 
and  Rosemary  Lane.  Dennis  Morgan, 
Thomas  Mitchell.  Warner 

Too  Many  Husbands — Play  by  Somerset 
Maugham;  Melvyn  Douglas,  Jean  Aus- 
tin. Col. 

Way  of  All  Flesh — Novel  by  Samuel  But- 
ler; Fritz  Leiber.  Muriel  Angeles,  Ber- 
ton  Churchill.  Para. 

We  Shall  Meet  Again  — George  Brent. 

Merle  Oberon,  Gene  Lockhart.  Warner 

Westerner — Gary  Cooper.  U.A. 


★ Warner  Brothers  are  to  concentrate 
its  short-making  enterprise  in  its  Bur- 
bank establishment,  transferring  the 
seat  of  such  activity  from  the  East. 

☆ A ☆ 

★ Clark  Gable,  Myrna  Loy,  and  Wil- 
liam Powell  are  to  appear  together  for 
the  first  time  since  19  34.  The  new  pro- 
duction, The  Rosary. 

ir  ★ A 

★ Walt  Disney  releases  18  cartoon  pro- 
ductions annually. 


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HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


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YOUTH...OLAMOUR 

The  Stauffer  System  is  fast  taking  its 
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out-worn  methods  which  consume  time 
and  tire  muscles. 


Read  what  the  editor  of  the 
Spectator,  Welford  Beaton, 
said  in  the  October  28  issue 
of  his  publication: 


".  . . Since  then  I have  been  using  the  table  at  four  fifteen-minute 
intervals  a day.  . . . Fifteen  minutes  on  this  table  is  equivalent  to  a 
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I 


ANUARY  6,  1940 


PAGE  FIFTEEN 


A Plea  and  a Play 

By 

WELFORD  BEATON 

Tells  why  too  much  dialogue  is  box- 
office  poison,  and  demonstrates  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  can  be  reduced. 

An  invaluable  little  volume  for  all 
students  of  the  screen. 


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SPECTATOR 


Twice  Monthly 


Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 


Fourteenth  Year 


Los  Angeles,  California — March  1,  1940 


Vol.  14— No.  22 


GEORGE  STEVENS 

Producer-Director,  Who  in  His  "Vigil  In  the  Night,"  Reinstates 
the  Camera  in  Its  Place  as  the  Screen's  Story-T Tedium 

See  tdiroi  s Easy  Chair 


ft \xj??t  the 

DITORS 


EASY  CHAIR 


GEORGE  STEVENS  SHOWS  THE  WAY 

YOUNG  producer-director  on  the  RKO  lot,  George 
Stevens,  has  made  available  for  study  by  the  film 
industry  a demonstration  of  what  it  must  do  to  relieve 
the  seriousness  of  its  present  financial  condition  and 
to  recreate  in  the  public  the  habit  of  attending  mo- 
tion picture  theatres.  Silent  pictures  first  created  the 
habit;  talkies  put  an  end  to  it.  When  the  screen  ac- 
quired a voice,  the  film  industry  abandoned  every- 
thing which  was  responsible  for  its  astonishing  growth, 
went  into  an  entirely  new  business,  still  thinks  it  is  in 
the  business  which  made  it  so  prosperous,  and  belly- 
aches about  the  public's  being  so  hard  to  please. 

Ever  since  pictures  went  talkie  the  Spectator  no 
doubt  has  tired  its  readers  by  the  reiteration  of  its 
plea  for  the  use  of  the  microphone  as  an  aid  to  the 
camera,  not  a substitute  for  it,  as  the  screen's  story- 
telling medium.  In  as  many  ways  as  words  could  ex- 
press it,  the  Spectator  warned  the  industry  of  what 
would  be  the  consequences  of  its  substitution  of  aural 
entertainment  for  visual  entertainment — of  its  appeal 
to  the  intellect  instead  of  to  the  emotions  of  its 
patrons — but  such  warnings  were  unheeded  and  Holly- 
wood has  talked  itself  into  money  troubles,  scores  of 
anti-trust  suits  and  other  difficulties,  all  the  direct  re- 
sult of  the  public's  refusal  to  patronize  everything 
offered  it,  as  it  had  the  habit  of  doing  when  pictures 
were  silent. 

What  Has  Gone  Before 

In  the  last  Spectator  I reviewed  "Vigil  in  the  Night," 
an  RKO  picture  produced  and  directed  by  George 
Stevens.  I characterized  it  as,  "The  perfect  talkie 
formula  . . . the  farthest"  advance  towards  perfection 
yet  made  by  any  studio."  I was  unacquainted  with 
Stevens,  never  to  my  knowledge  had  seen  him,  but  the 
picture  interested  me  tremendously  in  the  man  who 
made  it,  the  man  who  realized  on  film  everything  the 
Spectator  had  advanced  as  a theory.  I thumbed  back 
through  Spectators  to  discover  if  I had  reviewed  any 
other  Stevens  pictures.  I found  that  of  his  "Alice 
Adams"  (1936)  I had  written;  "Stevens  is  a newcomer 
of  much  promise,  a director  who  realizes  the  import- 
ance of  the  camera."  Quotes  from  two  reviews  in 
1937:  "What  all  my  arguments  have  aimed  at  is  ex- 
emplified in  Steven's  direction  of  this  picture."  . . 
"His  direction  has  the  merit  of  being  so  easy  and 
smooth  it  draws  no  attention  to  itself,  reveals  no  striv- 
ing to  achieve  results,  no  stressing  of  points."  His 
"Gunga  Din"  (19391  I characterized  as  "one  of  the 


most  distinguished  feats  of  screen  craftsmanship 
Hollywood  has  to  its  credit." 

One  Prediction  Comes  True 

€J  After  getting  my  nose  out  of  Spectator  files,  I re- 
solved the  next  thing  I had  to  do  was  to  meet  Stevens. 
I went  to  the  RKO  lot  and  was  jerked  into  the  office 
of  an  executive  who  roasted  me  for  roasting  his  last 
picture.  When  he  cooled  off,  we  talked  about  Stevens. 
"One  thing  which  makes  George  so  valuable  to  RKO," 
the  executive  told  me,  "is  his  popularity  with  the  big 
stars.  All  of  them  seemingly  want  to  work  for  him, 
and  we  have  no  difficulty  in  borrowing  one  when  he  or 
she  is  told  the  picture  is  to  be  directed  by  George 
Stevens."  That  had  a familiar  ring,  stirred  something 
in  my  memory,  and  when  I got  back  to  my  library  and 
into  the  files  again,  I found  this  in  the  Spectator  of 
May  7,  1938:  "After  all  Hollywood  sees  'Vivacious 
Lady,'  Stevens  will  be  among  the  directors  for  whom 
players  will  be  anxious  to  work." 

But  before  leaving  the  lot,  I called  on  Stevens  in  his 
office.  He  proved  younger  than  I expected  him  to  be. 
By  sampling  a pipeful  of  it,  I discovered  he  has  a nice 
taste  in  smoking  tobacco,  and  a putter  leaning  lan- 
guidly in  a corner  inspired  some  remark  about  golf, 
and  for  a half  hour  or  so  we  exchanged  experiences 
each  of  us  had  had  on  various  courses.  I supposed  he 
lied,  too,  but  perhaps  not;  he  looks  like  an  honest, 
straight-forward  young  fellow,  and  I would  not  be  sur- 
prised if  he  really  did  get  that  hole  in  one.  Anyway, 
we  did  not  talk  about  pictures  for  the  guite  sufficient 
reason  that  he  would  not  talk  about  them.  So  I left 
him,  went  to  a projection  room  and,  all  by  myself, 
viewed  "Vigil  In  the  Night"  again.  I was  afraid  it 
could  not  be  as  good  as  I thought  it  was  when  I first 
viewed  it,  and  I wanted  to  make  sure. 

Of  Great  Value  As  Lesson 

CJ  The  second  viewing  deepened  my  assurance  that 
the  Stevens  picture  could  be,  to  the  film  industry  as  a 
whole,  the  most  valuable  production  ever  to  come 
from  a Hollywood  studio.  It  is  a filmed  text-book  on 
the  relative  places  of  the  camera  and  the  microphone 
in  the  construction  of  a piece  of  screen  entertainment. 
But  will  Hollywood  accept  it  as  such?  By  no  means. 
Hollywood  producers  believe  their  salary  checks, 
really  believe  they  have  the  b rains  to  justify  the  size 
of  the  figures  on  the  checks,  think  only  in  terms  of 
their  self-estimated  importance,  and  would  be  shock- 
ed if  told  they  could  learn  anything  more  about  pic- 
tures than  they  know  already.  They  are  the  persons 


H 0 L l!. Y3 D ^PECTATOR,  published  twice  monthly  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spectator  Co.,  6513  Hollywood  Blvd. ; phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price,  $5  the  year;  two 
years,  $8:  fore^...  $1-  Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter.  September  23,  1938,  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1879 


PAGE  TWO 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


responsible  for  all  the  woes  the  film  industry  is 
suffering. 

But  a new  order  in  pictures  is  being  ushered  in  by 
the  pressure  being  applied  from  the  outside.  We  al- 
ways will  have  pictures.  Among  prop  men,  cutters, 
assistant  directors,  young  directors,  writers  there  are 
the  makers  of  the  pictures  of  the  near  tomorrow,  and 
each  of  them  should  study  every  scene  in  "Vigil  In 
the  Night,"  should  see  it  first  as  entertainment,  then 
several  times  as  a study  in  technigue. 

Camera  Tells  the  Story 

(JThe  outstanding  feature  of  the  technigue  is  the 
manner  in  which  the  camera  is  used  to  tell  almost  the 
entire  story.  In  the  opening  seguence  the  atmosphere 
and  mood  of  the  production  are  established  without 
the  sound  of  a voice  being  heard;  several  other  se- 
guences  are  wordless,  two  of  them  being  the  most 
dramatic  in  the  highly  dramatic  picture.  But  even  in 
dialogue  scenes  spoken  lines  depend  greatly  upon  the 
camera  to  give  full  expression  to  their  meaning.  The 
approach  to  a scene,  its  composition  and  the  facial 
expression  of  those  who  speak  in  it,  are  what  give  full 
story  significance  to  what  is  said.  All  lines  are  spoken 
guietly  and  get  their  emphasis  from  what  we  see,  not 
from  what  we  hear. 

The  camera,  too,  developes  characterizations.  In 
one  shot  we  see  two  sisters  conversing;  one  dressed 
plainly,  carelessly,  even  her  smile  suggesting  serious- 
ness; the  other  neat,  hair  dressed  meticulously,  her 
seriousness  suggesting  a frivolous  background.  The 
camera  tells  us  all  that,  and  it  is  what  gives  meaning 
to  what  the  girls  say  to  one  another.  Truly  Stevens 
wields  an  eloguent  camera. 

And  It  Is  Good  Box-Office 

<fl  But,  after  all,  the  thing  which  counts  is  not  the 
technigue  employed;  it  is  the  public's  response  to  the 
picture  as  a whole.  Picture  making  is  a business,  and 
has  George  Stevens  made  one  that  will  attract  money 
to  the  box-office?  He  has.  I had  a lump  in  my  throat 
and  tears  in  my  eyes  when  I saw  it  first  with  a big 
audience.  The  lump  came  back  and  the  tears  returned 
when  I sat  alone  and  saw  it  the  second  time.  Nothing 
Stevens  has  done  with  his  story  means  a thing  at  the 
box-office  unless  the  sum  total  of  his  effort  evokes 
emotional  response  from  those  who  view  it.  I am  con- 
fident "Vigil  In  the  Night"  will  get  such  response  from 
all  who  view  it. 

But  whatever  its  financial  fate,  it  comes  as  a boon 
to  the  motion  picture  industry  if  the  industry  proves 
itself  intelligent  enough  to  recognize  that  George 
Stevens  has  the  cure  for  the  financial  ills  it  now  is  suf- 
fering. Only  more  camera  and  less  microphone  will 
revive  picture-going  as  a public  habit.  I have  urged 
that  a hundred  times.  On  the  screen,  how  to  do  it  is 

demonstrated  by  Stevens  in  a hundred  minutes. 

* * * 

WE  VISIT  CRADLE  OF  TALENT 

OOK  advantage  of  a previewless  evening  to  visit 
one  of  the  cradles  of  acting  genius,  the  Bliss-Hay- 
den  School  of  the  Theatre,  which  was  presenting  a 


play  with  a cast  composed  of  some  of  its  pupils. 
When  the  film  industry  developes  an  adult  mentality 
we  will  have  schools  in  Hollywood  which  will  teach 
screen  acting,  but  at  present  we  must  be  content 
with  looking  for  screen  talent  in  the  ranks  of  those 
who  are  being  taught  the  alien  art  of  stage  acting, 
which,  at  least,  gives  them  an  opportunity  to  de- 
velope  the  personalities  which  make  them  valuable 
to  pictures.  Three  of  the  people  in  the  cast  of 
"Good-Bye,  My  Love,"  the  play  I saw,  should  en- 
gage the  attention  of  screen  talent  scouts.  Mariam 
Jay,  who  played  the  leading  part,  has  beauty,  brains 
and  personality  to  recommend  her  as  candidate  for 
picture  honors.  The  part  she  played  gave  her  an 
opportunity  to  display  a wide  range  of  emotional 
acting.  Mary  Jane  Karns,  Roscoe's  eighteen-year-old 
daughter,  is  another  whom  some  studio  should  grab. 
Good  to  look  at,  with  a rare  grasp  of  comedy  values 
and  ability  to  express  them,  Mary  Jane  is  going 
places.  The  third  player  who  attracted  my  attention 
is  Rian  Randal.  He,  too,  is  going  places.  If  you  forget 
the  name,  I will  remind  you  of  it  in  a couple  of  years 
when  I boast  of  having  predicted  for  him  the  success 
he  then  will  have  achieved. 

* * * 

WARNERS  MAKE  WISE  CHOICE 

PUTTING  V irginia  Bruce  under  a long  term  contract 
* is  a wise  move  on  the  part  of  Warner  Brothers. 
Possessed  of  charming  personality,  beauty  of  face  and 
form,  real  acting  ability,  Virginia  needs  only  the  right 
roles  in  the  right  pictures  to  put  her  away  up  on  the 
list  of  box-office  ratings.  There  is  something  wrong 
with  a system  which  makes  it  possible  for  a studio 
practically  to  put  an  end  to  a player's  career  by  sign- 
ing her  to  an  exclusive  contract  and  then  keep  her  off 
the  screen.  I hope  Virginia's  Warner  contract  stipu- 
lates that  she  is  to  grace  the  screen  with  her  presence 
at  least  twice  a year. 

* * * 

NEW  YORK  CRITICS  NOT  CONFUSED 
OMMENTING  on  the  New  York  film  critics'  selec- 
tions of  the  best  performances  for  last  year,  a 
woman  of  Gotham  is  guoted  as  follows  in  Louella 
Parson's  column:  "Jimmy  Stewart  does  not  deserve 
the  award,  fine  as  he  was  in  'Mr.  Smith  Goes  to 
Washington,'  because  he  played  a role  that  was 
tailor-made.  Jimmy  is  an  acting  stylist.  Ditto  Jean 
Arthur.  Ditto  Bette  Davis.  Contrast  these  players, 
who  play  themselves  in  every  role,  with  a character- 
ization such  as  Robert  Donat  turned  in  with  'Good- 
bye Mr.  Chips,'  Paul  Muni  is  another  great  actor 
who  characterizes.  I am  afraid  the  New  York  critics 
have  confused  great  personalities  with  great  artists." 

I think  it  is  the  writer  of  the  letter  who  is  confused, 
not  the  critics.  The  screen  derives  its  strength  as 
popular  entertainment  from  its  "tailor-made"  roles. 
It  is  not  an  acting  art;  it  demands  of  a player  that 
he  absorb  his  role  until  he  becomes  the  person  he 
is  playing.  Great  personalities,  not  great  artists,  are 
exactly  what  give  the  screen  its  great  appeal.  Jimmy 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  THREE 


Stewart  deserved  the  critics'  award  because  he  is  a 
great  personality,  because  he  can  express  his  person- 
ality in  terms  of  the  medium  in  which  he  works.  The 
only  thing  which  surprises  me  in  regard  to  the  critics' 
award  is  the  belated  recognition,  by  at  least  one  New 
York  element,  of  the  status  of  the  screen  as  an  indi- 
vidual art,  not  merely  a mechanical  process  by  which 
stage  technigue  is  brought  to  the  screens  of  the 
world. 

* * * 

JIMMIE'S  FOOD  AND  PHOTOGRAPHY 
TO  MAKE  a success  of  his  Chinese  restaurant  on 
Ventura  Boulevard,  all  James  Wong  Howe  need  do 
is  to  achieve,  in  the  food  he  serves,  the  artistic  per- 
fection which  characterizes  his  screen  photography. 
When  you  see  Jimmie's  name  on  the  screen  you  know 
you  are  in  for  a visual  treat  even  if  the  picture  has  not 

much  of  anything  else  to  offer. 

* * * 

EDITOR  HAS  A DINNER  DATE 

T A dinner  in  honor  of  Lloyd  Douglas,  whose  "Mag- 
nificent Obsession,"  published  ten  years  ago,  is 
followed  now  by  what  is  practically  a sequel,  "Dr. 
Hudson's  Secret  Journal,"  I had  the  good  fortune  tc 
sit  beside  Rachel  Field,  whose  latest  novel,  "All  This 
and  Heaven  Too,"  is  on  the  list  of  best  sellers.  Miss 
Field  told  us  an  amusinq  story.  At  various  times  she 
has  wanted  copies  of  some  of  her  old  books  which 
were  out  of  print,  and  each  time  went  to  a New  York 
book  store  which  made  a business  of  keeping  such 
books  in  stock.  Feeling  embarrassed  at  asking  for 
books  she  herself  had  written,  she  gave  a fictitious 
name  when  makinq  a purchase.  On  the  occasion  of 
her  sixth  visit  to  the  store  the  proprietor  asked  her 
why  she  was  buying  so  many  of  one  author's  out-of- 
print  books.  "Well,"  she  replied,  "Rachel  Field  is  a 
relative  of  mine."  "Oh,  I see,"  replied  the  book  seller, 
"charity  begins  at  home."  ...  I had  interesting  chats 
with  Carrie  Jacobs  Bond  and  May  Robson,  both 
white-haired  veterans  still  as  vigorous  as  girls  in  their 
teens;  also  met  Elizabeth  Page,  the  charming  writer 
of  "The  Tree  of  Liberty,"  currently  successful  book 
which  will  be  made  into  a picture  by  Producer-Director 
Frank  Lloyd,  with  Joan  Fontaine  and  Cary  Grant  as 
stars.  And  present  at  the  dinner  also  was  my  very 
good  friend  of  a dozen  or  more  years,  Louise  Dresser, 

great  actress,  grand  woman. 

* * * 

CONTRARY  TO  HUMAN  IMPULSES 

I^EFENDING  in  print  double-feature  programs,  a 
^writer  claims  they  give  the  public  a chance  to  see 
at  least  one  picture  it  likes,  and  it  does  not  have  to 
remain  to  see  the  other.  Weak  reasoning.  When  a 
man  pays  for  two  of  anything,  he  wants  both,  does 

not  want  to  keep  one  and  throw  the  other  away. 

* * * 

PUBLICITY  BOYS  PLEASE  NOTE 

ILL  studio  publicity  departments  do  me  a favor? 
When  I see  a picture  in  which  a side-wheeler  is 
shown  paddling  up  a tributary  of  the  Amazon,  I like 


to  imagine  I am  looking  at  just  that;  but  invariably 
after  a preview  I find  some  publicity  material  explain- 
ing in  detail  the  difficulties  studio  technicians  over- 
same in  staging  the  scene  on  the  back  lot,  and  how 
they  had  to  train  houseflies  to  act  like  Amazonian 
mosquitoes.  The  favor  I ask  is  to  be  permitted  to 
imagine  I am  looking  at  the  real  thing. 

* * * 

MENTAL  MEANDERINGS 

P NEAR  the  paved  highway  where  our  dirt  road 
comes  to  an  abrupt  end,  a newcomer  has  built  an 
imposing  residence,  and  on  the  top  of  each  of  two 
arrogant  pillars  at  the  street  end  of  the  driveway  has 
placed  a light,  the  two  being  the  only  illumination 
the  dirt  road  boasts.  One  Sunday  morning  the  new- 
comer came  briskly  down  the  road,  got  a little  group 
of  us  together,  from  one  pocket  pulled  a petition, 
from  another  a fountain  pen,  told  us  where  to  siqn, 
and  that,  with  his  influence  at  the  City  Hall,  our  dirt 
road  soon  would  be  transformed  into  a smooth  pave- 
ment. To  the  views  we  expressed  about  his  pavement 
idea,  we  added  the  information  that  in  our  opinion 
his  driveway  lights  already  were  more  ostentation  than 
we  could  stomach  with  complacency.  The  dogs  and  I 
were  on  the  front  lawn  late  last  night  when  I was 
hailed  from  the  road.  It  was  the  newcomer.  "Just 
strolled  down  the  road  in  the  moonlight,"  he  told  me. 
"You  know,  I think  you  people  along  here  know  how 
to  live.  I'm  going  to  jerk  out  those  damned  lights 
and  substitute  urns  with  ivy  drooping  from  them.  I'm 
even  growing  fond  of  the  bumps  in  the  road."  In  time 
the  country  gets  you.  . . . But  at  other  places  in  the 
Valley,  which  is  composed  principally  of  square  miles 
of  open  space,  real  estate  developers  are  building 
houses  so  close  together  a man  can  borrow  tooth 
powder  from  his  neighbor  without  either  of  them 
having  to  leave  his  bathroom.  . . . Think  I'll  have  to 
do  more  of  my  writing  at  the  office;  things  sometimes 
get  a bit  strained  around  the  house.  For  instance,  this 
is  the  day  Wendy,  the  world's  most  charming  grand- 
daughter, spends  with  us.  Tom,  the  man  about  the 
place,  made  a kite  for  her  and  commissioned  me  to 
find  some  strinq.  I saw  the  loose  end  of  something 
sticking  out  of  a basket  in  which  Mrs.  Spectator  keeps 
the  knitting,  crocheting,  weaving  jobs  she  is  working 
on.  I pulled  it  and  it  kept  coming  until  I had  a dandy 
big  ball;  Wendy,  Tom  and  I flew  the  kite  and  had  a 
wonderful  time.  While  I was  smoking  my  after-lunch- 
eon  pipe  I heard  Mrs.  Spectator  at  the  phone;  she  was 
telling  a friend  that  in  some  mysterious  way  a mat  she 
was  making  out  of  twine  and  had  nearly  finished  had 
disappeared  from  her  work  basket;  couldn't  find  it 
anywhere;  had  looked  everywhere  but  in  the  garage 
and  was  going  to  look  there  next,  although  she  couldn't 
imagine  its  being  there.  So  I hot-footed  it  to  the  gar- 
age, hid  the  kite,  and  now  I don't  know  what  to  do 
about  it.  Or  what  she  miqht  do  if  she  knew.  We've 
been  married  only  thirty-one  years,  and  it  takes  longer 
than  that  to  learn  just  what  a woman  would  do  under 
some  circumstances. 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


What  £ate  OheJ  took  Hike 


Stirring  History  in 
Metro  Production 

NORTHWEST  PASSAGE,  MGM 

Producer  Hunt  Stromberg 

Director  King  Vidor 

Screen  play:  Laurence  Stallings,  Talbot  Jen- 
nings. 

Based  on  the  novel  by  Kenneth  Roberts 

Musical  score  by  Herbert  Stothart 

Recording  director  Douglas  Shearer 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Associate  art  director  Malcolm  Brown 

Directors  of  photograph:  Sidney  Wagner,  ASC: 

Wiliam  V.  Skall,  ASC. 

Film  editor  Conrad  A.  Nervig 

Cast:  Spencer  Tracy,  Robert  Young,  Walter 

Brennan,  Ruth  Hussey,  Nat  Pendleton,  Louis 
Hector,  Robert  Barrat,  Lumsden  Hare,  Donald 
McBride,  Isabel  Jewell,  Douglas  Walton,  Ad- 
dison Richards,  Hugh  Sothern,  Regis  Toomey, 
Montagu  Love,  Lester  Matthews,  Truman  Brad- 
ley, Andrew  Pena. 

NOT  HER  outstanding  achievement 
to  the  credit  of  Producer  Hunt  Strom- 
berg: a stirring,  uplifting  screen  mate- 
rialization of  a page  of  United  States 
history,  turned  nearly  two  centuries  ago 
but  alive  today  with  inspiration  to  those 
who  have  difficulties  to  overcome.  It  is 
a picture  which  ignores  screen  conven- 
tions in  the  composition  of  its  story. 
Two  hundred  pioneer  soldiers  set  forth 
to  wipe  out  a tribe  of  murderous  In- 
dians, month  after  month  encounter  and 
overcome  obstacles  which  nature  stacks 
against  them,  accomplish  their  objec- 
tive, fifty  come  back.  That  is  the  story, 
but  the  screen  records  it  in  heroic  terms, 
makes  of  it  a gripping,  inspiring  drama 
of  which  Hollywood  has  reason  to  be 
proud.  It  is  a literary,  visual  and  tech- 
nical triumph  which  gives  the  screen 
new  dignity. 

Laurence  Stallings  and  Talbot  Jen- 
nings put  in  screen  play  form  that  por- 
tion of  Kenneth  Roberts’s  book,  North- 
west Passage,  which  was  used  in  the  pic- 
ture, and  adroitly  paved  the  way  for  a 
sequel  by  a line  of  dialogue  in  the  clos- 
ing sequence  to  the  effect  that  the  North- 
west Passage  itself  still  remained  to  be 
discovered.  I am  quite  sure  audience  re- 
action to  the  picture  will  constitute  an 
imperative  demand  for  a sequel.  If  the 
picture  does  not  prove  an  outstanding 
box-office  success  it  will  be  because  the 
public  is  harder  to  please  than  it  should 
be. 

Direction  and  Performances 

<1  King  Vidor’s  direction  is  perfect.  It 
was  a tremendous  emotional  and  phy- 
sical job  the  well  constructed  screen  play 
put  into  his  hands,  and  right  nobly  did 
he  execute  it.  And  right  nobly,  too,  did 
the  cameras  of  Sidney  Wagner  and  Wil- 
liam V.  Skall  respond  to  the  demands 
made  upon  them.  Scores  of  scenic  shots 


are  superb  examples  of  composition  and 
photography.  Lakes,  streams,  forests, 
mountains,  cloud  effects  form  beautiful 
and  awe-inspiring  backgrounds  for  the 
heroic  soldiers  as  they  bravely  carry  on. 
Vidor's  direction  is  notable  particularly 
for  the  manner  in  which  he  keeps  alive 
on  the  screen  the  indominable  spirit  of 
the  soldiers  as  they  cheerfully  meet  and 
overcome  the  difficulties  they  encounter. 

Spencer  Tracy  has  a habit  of  making 
us  believe  no  other  actor  could  play  any 
role  in  which  he  appears.  He  does  it 
again  here,  makes  his  Major  Rogers,  the 
heroic  leader  of  heroes,  a real  person, 
not  an  actor.  And  thanks  to  Vidor,  we 
have  a new  Bob  Young  who  reveals  in- 
telligence, emotional  power  and  adapt- 
able acting  ability  hinted  at  even  in  the 
wishy-washy  roles  to  which  he  was  as- 
signed when  he  first  came  to  the  screen, 
but  which  until  now  he  was  not  given 
an  opportunity  to  display.  Walter  Bren- 
nan is  another  who  distinguishes  him- 
self in  Northwest  Passage,  as  does  Addi- 
son Richards  in  a highly  emotional  role. 
Regis  Toomey,  one  of  the  finest  young 
actors  available  to  pictures  and  one  of 
the  most  overlooked,  does  quite  enough 
in  this  picture  to  point  up  the  folly  of 
producers  in  not  making  greater  use  of 
him. 

Competent  Craftsmanship 

The  acting  pattern  is  sprinkled  with 
well  done  bits,  too  many  for  individual 
mention.  It  is  an  almost  wholly  mascu- 
line picture,  the  only  actress  in  it  who 
is  given  an  opportunity  to  display  act- 
ing ability  being  Isabel  Jewell,  who  ap- 
pears briefly  but  makes  her  presence  felt. 
Romantic  element  is  slight;  Ruth  Hus- 
sey and  Bob  Young  are  in  love  when 
the  picture  opens,  they  are  holding  hands 
when  it  ends,  and  that  is  all  the  ro- 
mance there  is  in  this  purely  masculine 
piece  of  screen  entertainment. 

In  all  its  technical  aspects  Northwest 
Passage  reveals  completely  competent 
craftsmanship.  It  is  a far  cry  from  the 
Romeo  and  Juliet  sets  of  Cedric  Gib- 
bons to  his  log  fortifications  and  In- 
dian teepees  in  this  picture,  but  for  at- 
mospheric integrity  they  can  be  com- 
pared. Film  editing  is  an  important  job 
in  the  production  of  such  sweep  and  so 
much  activity  which  at  all  times  must 
register  persistent  forward  movement. 
And  a well  done  job  did  Conrad  Ner- 
vig make  of  it.  For  the  scenic  beauty 
which  is  such  a big  feature  of  the  pic- 
ture we  have  technicolor  to  thank. 

A picture  to  command  the  serious  at- 
tention of  all  students  of  the  screen,  one 
which  demonstrates  the  screen  s advan- 
tage over  all  other  media  as  a teacher  of 
history,  the  only  medium  which  can 
make  it  live  again  before  our  eyes.  May 
appeal  more  to  masculine  than  to  fem- 


inine tastes,  but  I have  my  doubts.  Not 
for  children  or  for  young  people  who$e 
tastes  run  to  the  frivolous.  But  exhibi- 
tors certainly  can  get  behind  it  with 
enthusiasm. 

Biographical  Film 

Scores  A Success 

YOUNG  TOM  EDISON.  MGM 
Producer  John  W.  Considine,  Jr. 

Associate  producer  Orville  O.  Dull 

Director  Norman  Taurog 

Original  screen  play:  Bradbury  Foote,  Dore 

Schary,  Hugo  Butler. 

Based  on  material  by  H.  Alan  Dunn 

Musical  score  Edward  Ward 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Associate  art  director  Harry  McAfee 

Director  of  photography  Sidney  Wagner,  ASC 
Film  editor  Elmo  Veron 

Cast:  Mickey  Rooney,  Fay  Bainter,  George 

Bancroft,  Virginia  Weidler,  Eugene  Pallette, 
Victor  Kilian,  Bobbie  Jordan,  J.  M.  Kerrigan, 
Lloyd  Corrigan,  John  Kellog,  Clem  Bevans, 
Eily  Malyon,  Harry  Shannon. 

IOGRAPHICAL  venture  which 
should  prove  highly  successful.  Here 
we  have  the  first  half  of  it,  the  half  that 
tells  us  about  the  boy.  On  the  way  is 
the  second  helping,  the  one  which  will 
tell  us  about  the  man,  the  Wizard  of 
Menlo,  Thomas  A.  Edison,  who  illum- 
inated the  world.  Those  who  view  the 
first  picture  will  be  impatient  to  view 
the  second — an  important  box  - office 
factor.  Mickey  Rooney’s  name  will  at- 
tract millions  of  patrons,  among  them 
a few  million  who  are  interested  more 
in  him  than  in  the  man  the  boy  be- 
came, but  after  seeing  him  they  will  not 
be  content  until  they  see  the  man.  As 
a ballyhoo  for  the  second  picture,  the 
first  will  prove  a huge  success,  further 
assured  by  the  fact  that  Spencer  Tracy 
will  play  the  man. 

The  producer  - writer  combination 
which  made  such  a human  document  of 
Boys'  Town — John  W.  Considine,  Jr., 
producer,  and  Dore  Shary  and  Hugo 
Butler,  writers — again  functions  as  a 
unit  to  make  Young  Tom  Edison  a 
warmly  human  picture.  The  boy  had 
much  to  contend  with  in  his  small  home 
town,  his  series  of  experiments  creating 
doubts  as  to  his  sanity.  But  we  regard 
our  young  hero’s  woes  with  more  com- 
placency than  we  do  those  of  the  hero 
of  a purely  fictional  creation:  we  know 
in  advance  that  ultimately  he  will  tri- 
umph and  make  the  small  town  proud 
of  him.  Such  knowledge,  however,  does 
not  temper  our  sympathy  for  him  or 
lessen  our  regret  that  he  should  be  mis- 
understood so  sadly.  And  therein  lies 
the  great  appeal  of  Young  Tom  Edison. 

No  Mugging  By  Mickey 

So  far  we  have  considered  Mickey 
Rooney  ideal  casting  for  every  part  he 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  FIVE 


has  played,  and  the  same  holds  true  here. 
Even  its  casual  reading  has  made  the 
adult  population  acquainted  with  the 
achievements  of  Edison,  the  man,  but 
few  of  us  have  knowledge  of  the  birth 
pains  his  genius  suffered.  In  that  regard 
Young  Tom  Edison  is  a revealing  docu- 
ment. a poignant  recital  of  trials  and 
disappointments,  illuminated  with  flashes 
of  humor,  bits  of  comedy,  which  sugar- 
coat  its  taking.  Mickey  does  no  mug- 
ging here,  does  no  straining  for  effects, 
never  suggests  the  actor.  As  his  younger 
sister — really  older  in  the  Edison  family 
— we  have  that  superlatively  clever  little 
Virginia  Weidler,  a child  who  would  be 
a great  box-office  star  if  only  one  among 
our  many  overstuffed-salaried  producers 
had  brains  enough  to  realize  it. 

The  parents  of  the  Edison  children 
are  played  by  Fay  Bainter  and  George 
Bancroft,  and  each  gives  a really  fine 
performance.  Others  who  distinguish 
themselves  are  Eugene  Pallette,  Victor 
Kilian,  J.  M.  Kerrigan,  Lloyd  Corrigan 
and  Eily  Malyon.  Norman  Taurog  gave 
the  picture  understanding  direction,  and 
Sidney  Wagner  (photography)  and  El- 
mo Veron  (film  editing)  ably  acquit- 
ted themselves  of  their  technical  chores. 
Cedric  Gibbons’s  recreation  of  the  Port 
Huron.  Michigan,  of  the  young  Tom 
Edison  days,  is  a notable  feature  of  the 
production. 

Interesting  to  students  as  a further 
demonstration  of  the  screen's  strength 
as  a medium  for  the  presentation  of  bio- 
graphical material,  to  make  the  past  live 
again  before  our  eyes.  Enough  youthful 
appeal  to  entertain  the  children  and  to 
create  their  interest  in  Edison,  the  Man. 
when  the  second  picture  is  shown,  the 
two  thus  becoming,  from  an  educational 
standpoint , the  greatest  biographical 
lesson  the  screen  has  made  available. 
Exhibitors  should  find  it  profitable 
booking. 


Fields- 1 Fest  Film 
Rather  A Poor  One 


MY  LITTLE  CHICKADEE,  Universal  Pictures 
Director  Edward  F.  Cline 

Producer  Lester  Cowan 

Original  screen  play  Mae  West,  W.  C.  Fields 
Director  of  photography  Joseph  Valentine,  ASC 
Art  director  Jack  Otterson 

Associate  art  director  Martin  Obzina 

Film  editor  Edward  Curtiss 

Musical  director  Charles  Previn 

Musical  score  Frank  Skinner 


Cast:  Mae  West,  W.  C.  Fields,  Joseph  Calleia, 
Dick  Foran,  Ruth  Donnelly,  Margaret  Hamil- 
ton, Donald  Meek,  Fuzzy  Knight,  Willard  Rob- 
ertson, George  Moran,  Jackie  Searl,  Fay  Adler. 


LTI  TLE  to  recommend  it.  I like  the 
brand  of  comedy  Bill  Fields  dishes 
out,  but  the  weak  story  background  we 
have  here  is  too  great  a burden  for  him 
to  carry  alone.  He  gets  no  help  from 
Mae  West  who  still  relies  upon  her  hips 
to  carry  the  burden  of  her  performance. 


I have  no  quarrel  with  hips  as  necessary 
adjuncts  to  human  locomotion,  but  I 
do  object  to  them  as  a media  of  expres- 
sion. I have  seen  all  the  pictures  in 
which  Mae  West  has  appeared,  and  have 
grown  weary  of  the  succession  of  dup- 
lications of  the  characterization  she  con- 
tributed to  the  first,  which,  if  memory 
serves  me  correctly,  entertained  me  main- 
ly by  virtue  of  the  strength  of  the  story 
it  told. 

Here  we  have  a story  devoid  of  clev- 
erness to  keep  continuous  the  interest  of 
the  audience.  It  has  clever  people  in  it 
and  no  fault  can  be  found  with  the 
direction  Edward  Cline  gave  it,  but  on 
the  whole  it  proves  more  boring  than  en- 
tertaining. That  is  my  individual  opin- 
ion. The  story  obviously  was  designed 
solely  to  string  together  the  appearances 
of  the  two  stars — the  only  kind  of  story 
we  might  have  expected  when  the  credits 
revealed  it  was  written  by  the  two  stars. 
If  Universal  had  employed  trained  screen 
writers  to  provide  an  intelligent  screen 
play,  the  stars  would  have  appeared  to 
better  advantage  than  they  do  in  one 
created  by  themselves  solely  to  exploit 
themselves. 

Universal  has  given  My  Little  Chick- 
adee a worthwhile  production  and  a 
good  cast,  but  the  whole  thing  sums  up 
to  rather  dull  entertainment. 

Not  for  children,  and  nothing  in  it 
to  engage  the  attention  of  students  of 
the  screen.  Ardent  fans  of  W.  C.  Fields 
and  Mae  West  may  be  satisfied  with  it. 
For  exhibitors  it  Will  depend  upon  the 
box-office  value  of  the  star  names. 

If  allace  Beery  Is 
A Scalawag  Again 


THE  MAN  FROM  DAKOTA,  MGM 


Producer 
Director 
Screen  play 
Musical  score: 
eatrof. 

Art  director 
Associate  art  director 
Make-Up  created  by 
Director  of  photography 
Film  editor 


Edward  Chodorov 
Leslie  Fenton 
Laurence  Stallings 
David  Snell,  Daniele  Amfith- 


Cedric  Gibbons 
Malcolm  Brown 
Jack  Dawn 
Ray  June,  ASC 
Conrad  A.  Nervig 


Cast:  Wallace  Beery,  John  Howard,  Dolores 
Del  Rio,  Donald  Meek,  Robert  Barrat,  Addison 
Richards.  Frederick  Burton,  William  Haade, 
John  Wray. 


II/HA  I merit  this  picture  has  is  due  to 
rr  the  direction  given  it.  It  is  the  third 
production  of  feature  length  which  Les- 
lie Fenton  has  directed.  In  the  other 
two  he  was  fortunate  in  having  stories 
which  were  worth  while,  and  out  of 
them  he  made  pictures  which  stamped 
him  as  one  of  the  most  promising — if 
not  the  most  promising — young  direc- 
tors in  Hollywood.  In  The  Man  From 
Dakota  he  has  a story  which  no  director 
could  make  into  completely  satisfying 
screen  entertainment,  but  Fenton’s  di- 


rection gives  it  values  which  save  it 
from  becoming  a complete  loss. 

The  story  takes  us  back  to  Civil  War 
days  and  deals  with  the  frustration  of 
a plan  of  the  Southern  army  to  lead 
General  Grant  into  a trap.  Which  gen- 
ius on  the  Metro  lot  had  the  idea  that 
while  the  soil  of  foreign  countries  is  be- 
ing drenched  with  soldiers’  blood,  is  a 
good  time  to  revive  a bloody  episode  in 
our  own  history,  I do  not  know,  but  I 
cannot  commend  the  idea  as  one  which 
will  be  accepted  with  favor  by  Ameri- 
can audiences.  War  is  one  thing  we 
would  like  to  forget,  and  Metro  goes  to 
considerable  expense  to  remind  us  of  it. 
to  sell  us  more  of  it  in  the  guise  of 
entertainment. 

Story  Is  Mechanical 

•I  The  story  is  a spotty  one,  consisting 
of  pieces  which  even  good  direction 
could  not  stick  together  closely  enough 
to  keep  the  uneven  splices  from  show- 
ing. But  it  provides  opportunities  for 
three  excellent  main  performances  and 
quite  a number  of  secondary  ones. 
Wally  Beery  is  again  the  roughneck 
scallawag,  a characterization  which  has 
typed  him  so  fixedly  as  to  suggest  the 
wisdom  of  permitting  him  to  play 
something  radically  different  to  surprise 
and  delight  audiences  everywhere.  Do- 
lores Del  Rio  comes  back  to  us  in  this 
picture,  ornaments  it  and  contributes  a 
performance  which  is  one  of  the  big 
features  of  the  production.  It  takes 
forceful  acting  to  justify  her  appear- 
ance, as  a hole  had  to  be  cut  in  the 
story  to  make  room  for  her,  but  the  in- 
trusion is  justified  by  the  strength  of 
her  contribution  and  is  valuable  as  a 
reminder  to  producers  that  in  her  they 
have  been  overlooking  an  accomplished 
and  beautiful  actress. 

John  Howard  is  coming  along  rap- 
idly, each  of  his  performances  being  a 
little  better  than  the  one  which  preceded 
it.  In  I he  Man  From  Dakota  he  is 
really  excellent,  thanks  to  direction 
which  permitted  him  to  develope  his 
characterization  intelligently.  All  the 
others  in  the  cast  struggled  gamely 
against  the  story  odds  which  confronted 
them.  The  picture  is  given  the  complete 
production  which  characterizes  every 
film  Metro  turns  out.  Ray  June’s  cam- 
era had  a wide  range  of  light  and  shade 


If  You  Enjoy 

Good  Southern  Home  Cooked  Food 

Try  the 

CANTERBURY  COFFEE  SHOP 

1746  North  Cherokee 
. . . NOW  OPEN  TO  THE  PUBLIC  . . . 

Breakfast  . . Luncheon  . . Dinner 
AT  POPULAR  PRICES 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


to  poke  its  nose  into,  and  it  brought  to 
the  screen  many  fine  shots.  Wide  ter- 
rain, marching  soldiers  and  artillery 
movements  presented  interesting  prob- 
lems in  film  editing,  all  of  them  being 
solved  successfully  by  Conrad  Nervig. 

Rather  a waste  of  a brilliant  young 
director's  genius.  Selection  of  story  a 
psychological  blunder.  Will  not  dis- 
appoint Berry  fans,  and  all  the  perform- 
ances will  please.  Hardly  for  children. 

Tarkington  Story 
Much  Modernized 

SEVENTEEN,  Paramount 
Associate  producer  Stuart  Walker 

Director  Louis  King 

Screen  play:  Agnes  Christine  Johnston,  Stu- 
art Palmer. 

Based  on  the  story  by  Booth  Tarkington 

Based  on  the  play  by:  Stuart  Walker,  Hugh 
Stanislaus  Strange,  Stanford  Mears. 
Director  of  photography  Victor  Milner,  ASC 
Art  directors  Hans  Dreier,  Franz  Bachelin 
Editor  Arthur  Schmidt 

Sound  recording  Earl  Hayman,  Walter  Oberst 
Cast:  Jackie  Cooper,  Betty  Field,  Otto  Kruger, 
Ann  Shoemaker,  Norma  Nelson,  Betty  Moran, 
Thomas  Ross,  Peter  Hayes,  Buddy  Pepper, 
Donald  Haines,  Richard  Denning,  Jody  S.  Gil- 
bert, Paul  E.  Burns,  Hal  Clements,  Edward 
Earle,  Stanley  Price,  Joey  Ray,  Snowflake, 
Hattie  Noel. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

FRAGRANT  with  the  sweet  dreams 
of  puppy  love  and  brisking  with  the 
capers  of  adolescence,  Booth  Tarking- 
ton’s  famed  Seventeen  again  comes  to 
the  screen.  It  is  a highly  modernized 
version  of  the  story  that  Paramount  pre- 
sents. The  snappy  vernacular  of  yester- 
year has  been  replaced  by  the  snazzy 
vernacular  of  today;  jitterbugging,  road- 
ers,  including  a snorting  jaloppy  em- 
blazoned with  epigrams,  and  a night 
club  feature  as  youth’s  diversions.  It 
was  a right  good  tale  Tarkington  dash- 
ed off,  one  touching  on  fundamental  at- 
titudes and  problems  of  youth — and  of 
parents — and  the  yarn  holds  up  staunch- 
ly for  all  its  alterations  and  furbelows. 
Like  a good  piece  of  Georgian  architec- 
ture, it  can  stand  a lot  of  tampering 
with. 

If  the  present  piece  seems  sometimes 
just  a little  cluttered  with  modernity — 
and  a Hollywood  brand  of  modernity 
— and  if  one  misses  a certain  simplicity 
and  homespun  quality  that  lent  an  en- 
gaging spirit  to  the  book,  nevertheless 
Seventeen  provides  buoyant  and  inter- 
est-sustaining entertainment  The  pic- 
ture has  considerable  nostalgic  appeal 
too;  indeed  the  elders  may  take  to  the 
film  more  than  adolescents,  who,  even 
as  the  characters  herein  portrayed,  often 
like  to  imagine  themselves  as  other  than 
they  are.  The  Paramount  people  are 
leaving  no  stone  unturned  to  impress 
the  budding  generation  with  the  notion 
that  it  is  being  glorified,  however.  Sev- 


enteen misses,  age  1 7,  were  brought 
from  1 7 states  to  attend  the  preview 
and  be  wined  and  dined — or  maybe 
only  dined.  What  with  the  preview 
taking  place  on  Valentine  day  and  all 
the  youthful  flurry  and  palpitation,  it 
was  really  a gala  occasion. 

Of  Jackie  and  Willie 

CJ  Most  of  the  familiar  incidents  of  the 
story  are  at  least  represented  in  Agnes 
Christine  Johnston’s  and  Stuart  Pal- 
mer’s screen  play — Willie  Baxter’s  pry- 
ing and  revealing  little  sister,  his  bor- 
rowing father’s  dress  suit  to  impress  the 
flirtatious  Lola  Pratt  from  Chicago,  and 
so  on.  A good  deal  of  action  here  hinges 
around  Willie's  trading  his  old  jaloppy 
in  for  a presentable  roadster  and  then 
trying  to  raise  the  money  for  the  pav- 
ments. 

Needless  to  say,  jackie  Cooper  gives 
a convincing,  an  amusing  and  appealing 
interpretation  of  young  Baxter.  Seemed 
to  me,  though,  that  in  the  direction 
some  opportunities  for  humor  were 
overlooked  in  not  emphasizing  more 
the  boy’s  aspiration  to  maturity,  his 
assumption  of  manly  and  worldly 
characteristics,  which  practice  is  one  of 
the  most  amusing  tendencies  of  adoles- 
cents. In  this  and  in  several  other  di- 
rections— for  instance,  in  giving  out  his 
money  so  generously  at  the  night  club 
— Cooper  seems  a mite  too  casual.  Nat- 
uralness and  casualness  are  not  just  the 
same  things.  Characterization  implies 
the  assemblage  of  dominant  characteris- 
tics. It  is  a good  show  Cooper  gives, 
within  a certain  interpretative  range, 
but  it  is  hardly  a departure  from  other 
portrayals  he  has  given.  Willie  Baxter 
is  certainly  a character. 

Betty  Field  Registers 

As  the  streamlined  Lola,  Betty  Field 
is  a very  scintillating  and  beguiling 
young  creature.  The  new  Lola  evident- 
ly is  a spoiled  brat,  refers  to  her  parents, 
who  had  obstructed  her  elopement,  as 
“obstreperous,”  addresses  all  the  young 
men  as  “darling,”  goes  in  for  too  much 
make-up,  including  artificial  eyelashes. 
She  flaunts  too  what  she  considers  the 
last  word  in  vernacular — many  a sen- 
tence takes  an  interrogative  upswing  at 
the  close,  with  greatly  altered,  some- 
times uncertain  meaning,  thusly,  “Who 
do  you  think  you  are — anyhow?”  Miss 
Field  carries  off  the  part  capitally,  “but 
definitely.” 

Louis  King’s  direction,  by  and  large, 
is  most  whimsical  and  sympathetic. 
Good  performances  are  gotten  from  a 
number  of  other  young  people,  Norma 
Nelson,  as  sister  Jane,  Betty  Moran, 
Buddy  Pepper,  Donald  Haines  and  the 
promising  Peter  Hayes.  Of  the  adults, 
Ann  Shoemaker  gives  an  understanding 
performance  as  Willie’s  mother,  and 
Otto  Kruger  does  well  as  the  father.  Art 
direction  is  discerning,  the  photography 
of  Victor  Milner  pleasant.  Good  editing 


is  contributed  by  Arthur  Schmidt.  As- 
sociate producer  was  Stuart  Walker,  who 
had  a hand  in  adapting  and  staging 
the  legitimate  stage  version  some  years 
back. 

Tarkington' s noted  story  of  adoles- 
cence has  been  given  a good  many  fur- 
belows of  modernity , but  the  present 
version  has  human-interest  appeal  and 
humor.  Youth  does  not  change  in 
fundamental  ways,  nor  do  its  problems. 
Elder  spectators  should  like  the  picture 
as  well  as  the  younger  ones,  possibly 
more  so,  for  it  has  a nostalgic  quality. 
Emphasis  is  decidedly  on  humor,  how- 
ever. Contains  nothing  especially  to  call 
to  the  attention  of  study  groups. 

Blonde  Damsel  Is 
Really  A Meanie 

FREE,  BLONDE  AND  21,  20th  Century-Fox 
Executive  producer  Sol  M.  Wurtzel 

Director  Ricardo  Cortez 

Original  screen  play  Frances  Hyland 

Director  of  photography  George  Barnes,  ASC 
Art  direction  Richard  Day,  George  Dudley 
Film  editor  Norman  Colbert 

Musical  director  Samuel  Kaylin 

Cast:  Lynn  Bari,  Mary  Beth  Hughes,  Joan 

Davis,  Henry  Wilcoxon,  Robert  Lowery,  Alan 
Baxter,  Katharine  Aldridge,  Helen  Ericson, 
Chick  Chandler,  John  Valerie,  Elise  Knox,  Dor- 
othy Dearing,  Herbert  Rawlinson,  Kay  Lina- 
ker,  Thomas  Jackson,  Richard  Lane. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
ODELED  along  the  lines  of  the  re- 
cent Hotel  For  Women,  this  one 
again  lets  us  in  on  the  gambols  of  the 
girls  in  a New  York  hostelry  for  the 
fair  sex.  And  what  a gilded  and  glam- 
orous life  the  fair  ones  lead.  Dates  to 
the  point  of  ennui — though  largely  with 
sojourning  buyers  and  such — expensive 
clothes,  elegant  apartments,  all  these  and 
more  the  big  city  has  showered  in  their 
laps.  Evidently  all  the  young  things  are 
eminently  successful  in  one  way  or  an- 
other, though  two  or  three  are  preening 
their  fine  feathers  in  a gilded  cage,  if 
you  possibly  can  conceive  what  I mean. 
Doubtless  many  a small-town  maiden 
will  decide  she  is  wasting  her  fragrance 
on  the  desert  air  and  entrain  for  the  big 
city  after  Free,  Blonde  and  21 — which 
takes  the  crocheted  something  or  other 
for  tawdry  titles — has  been  screening  at 
the  local  Bijou. 

Those  not  so  susceptible  to  cine- 
matic enchantments  will  find  the  picture 
fair  entertainment  of  the  popuar  sort, 
cream-puff  fare.  The  spectacle  of  a cross- 
section  of  metropolitan  femininity,  ea- 
ger and  foot-loose,  is  diverting;  the 
theme  has  not  been  overworked — as  yet. 
Most  of  the  story  turns  out  to  hinge 
around  a blonde  miss  who  is  certainly  a 
meanie.  First  she  fakes  an  attempted 
suicide  in  an  effort  to  scandalize  a mar- 
ried man  who  has  chosen  between  her 
and  his  wife — though  the  ruse  does  not 
work — and  then  nearly  ruins  the  life  of 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  SEVEN 


a handsome  young  doctor  she  comes  to 
know  at  the  hospital. 

Part  Seems  Rather  Synthetic 

CJ  Mary  Beth  Hughes  certainly  brings  an 
abundance  of  lush  and  sensuous  quali- 
ties to  the  role.  In  a recent  review  I 
said  that  no  young  screen  actress  I had 
seen  struck  me  as  being  more  favorably 
endowed  for  filling  the  niche  of  the  late 
Jean  Harlow.  Now  and  then,  however, 
we  feel  her  performance  could  have  been 
further  developed,  and  occasionally  her 
essayal  does  not  quite  ring  true.  Doubt- 
less Miss  Hughes  can  stand  some  further 
grooming  in  the  art  of  Thespis,  but  for 
these  fluctuations  she  is  not  altogether 
responsible.  The  part  itself  seems  to  be 
rather  synthetic.  One  wonders  if  Fran- 
ces Hyland,  the  capable  writer  of  the 
screen  play,  did  not  think  up  at  least 
some  of  the  girl's  meannesses  before  she 
thought  up  the  girl. 

At  any  rate,  the  girl’s  resourceful- 
ness at  deception  does  not  always  seem 
consistent  wiith  her  naive  behavior  at 
other  times.  Motivation  of  the  char- 
acter might  have  been  improved  at  times, 
I believe,  by  the  direction,  especially  in 
a concluding  scene  when  she  is  being 
grilled  by  the  police.  Apropos  of  the 
screen  play,  a good  many  cash  customers 
are  going  to  wonder  how  the  young  doc- 
tor manages  to  carry  the  injured  gun- 
man— the  lass  tells  him  the  latter  is 
her  brother — into  a beach  house  belong- 
ing to  a friend.  Surely  the  place  would 
have  been  locked. 

Lynn  Bari  Agreeable 

Direction  by  Ricardo  Cortez  is  gener- 
ally competent.  Lynn  Bari,  in  a not 
very  eventful  part,  again  shows  increas- 
ing finesse  and  sparkle.  I should  not  be 
surprised  to  see  her  in  a starring  spot 
some  day.  Joan  Davis  is  highly  amus- 
ing as  an  officious  maid,  and  Henry 
Wilcoxon,  Robert  Lowery,  and  Alan 
Baxter  give  substantial  shows.  The  sets 
by  Richard  Day  and  George  Dudley, 
with  decorative  frills  by  Thomas  Little, 
are,  as  I have  intimated,  extremely  la- 
de-da. George  Barnes’  photography  adds 
to  the  glamour.  Despite  the  large  num- 


HOLLYWOOD DOG 
TRAINING  SCHOOL 


Carl  Spitz,  Owner 
Fritz  Bache,  Manager 


Phone  12350  Riverside  Drive 

North  Holly.  1262  No.  Hollywood,  Calif. 


ber  of  characters  involved,  the  film 
moves  along  at  a good  clip,  indicating 
dexterous  editing  on  the  part  of  Norman 
Colbert. 

A fairly  diverting  yarn  of  the  popular 
sort.  The  gods  from  the  shoit  factory 
may  like  it  a good  deal;  more  discrim- 
inating patrons  may  deem  it  somewhat 
too  fluffy.  Contains  nothing  for  study 
groups.  Not  the  best  fare  for  children. 

Gentleman  Crook 

Quite  a Fellow 

THE  LONE  WOLF  STRIKES,  Columbia 
Producer  Fred  Kohlmar 

Director  Sidney  Salkow 

Screen  play  Harry  Segall,  Albert  Duffy 

Story  Dalton  Trumbo 

Based  upon  novel  by  Louis  Joseph  Vance 
Photography  Henry  Freulich 

Cast:  Warren  William.  Joan  Perry,  Eric  Blore, 
Alan  Baxter,  Astrid  Allwyn,  Montagu  Love, 
Robert  Wilcox,  Don  Beddoe,  Fred  A.  Kelsey, 
Addison  Richards,  Roy  Gordon,  Harland 
Tucker,  Peter  Lynn. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

HOROUGHLY  a master-mind  is  the 
Lone  Wolf,  who  here  temporarily 
forsakes  a life  of  retirement,  a lush  ex- 
istence amid  his  domestic  aquarium  of 
many  rare  fish,  and  steps  back  into  the 
hazardous  pursuit  of  purloining.  This 
time,  though,  the  fellow  is  on  the  side 
of  justice,  having  consented,  as  a favor 
to  an  attorney  friend,  to  recover  a string 
of  valuable  pearls  from  a gang  of  crooks. 
And  what  strategy  the  man  adopts; 
people  are  mere  puppets  in  his  hands. 
No  untoward  development  can  discon- 
cert him;  he  can  turn  any  situation  to 
his  advantage.  Of  course,  it  is  all  so 
much  blarney,  but  there  is  a certain 
satisfaction  in  watching  a fellow  crea- 
ture be  so  enormously  clever.  Rather 
flattering  to  the  species. 

The  finesse  with  which  Warren  Wil- 
liams interprets  the  character  is  the  pri- 
mary asset  of  the  picture.  The  event- 
fulness of  the  story,  rapid  movement, 
and  some  effective  suspense  are  other 
good  points.  It  is  a crook  drama  of 
standard  entertainment  value. 

Some  Loose  Threads 

•J  As  usual,  fortune  smiles  upon  our 
gentleman  crook — pardon  me,  ex-crook. 
People  accept  phony  pearls  without  both- 
ering to  examine  them.  People  fall  into 
his  trap  exactly  as  he  planned  they 
would.  The  principal  threads  of  the 
plot  are  brought  together  at  the  con- 
clusion and  tied  in  a nice  big  bow,  the 
crooks  and  police  coming  together  at 
just  the  right  time  and  place.  At  that, 
there  are  a few  threads  left  loose.  I 
cannot  remember  that  the  murder  of  the 
girl’s  father  was  pinned  on  anybody, 
which  was  one  of  the  Wolf’s  asserted 
objectives.  Nor  can  it  be  proven  that  a 


man  and  woman  who  first  purloined 
the  necklace,  ever  had  it. 

Outstanding  in  the  supporting  cast 
are  Eric  Blore,  Astrid  Allwyn,  Monta- 
gu Love.  Joan  Perry  is  satisfactory  as 
the  heroine,  thought  the  fact  that  the 
girl  she  portrays  makes  an  almost  con- 
stant nuisance  of  herself,  following  the 
hero  around  and  gumming  up  his  plans, 
renders  the  actress’s  appearances  on  the 
screen  not  always  popular.  Sidney  Sol- 
kow  has  given  good  journeyman  direc- 
tion. Lhe  screen  play  was  by  Harry 
Segall  and  Albert  Duffy,  based  on  an 
original  by  the  gifted  and  prolific  Dal- 
ton Trumbo. 

A crook  drama  of  a standard  sort,. 
Substantial  fare  for  a supporting  posi- 
tion on  the  bill.  Has  nothing  for  study 
groups.  All  right  for  children.  If  they 
ask  how.  if  crime  does  not  pay.  the  Lone 
Wolf  could  have  retired  so  comfortably . 
cook  up  something  about  his  Aunt  Lulu. 


ENTERTAINMENT 

VERYONE  is  talking  about  enter- 
tainment. Now,  just  what  is  it? 
It  runs  the  gamut  from  the  jig-saw 
puzzle  to  the  football  game,  from  the 
fun  of  old  maid  to  pinochle.  It  includes 
the  country  dance  and  the  fancy-dress 
ball.  It  vaults  from  leapfrog  to  the 
Olympic  Games,  from  the  rodeo  to  the 
Grand  Opera.  It  projects  from  the  toy 
lantern  to  the  technicolor  film.  It  ex- 
tends from  a labor  of  love  to  revelry 
and  carousal.  All — for  one  purpose;  to 
amuse,  divert  or  recreate  the  partici- 
pants. 

Lhe  Ancient  Greek  sought  his  relaxa- 
tion in  the  race  and  the  arts.  The  Ro- 
man, as  exaggerated  by  Nero  at  the 
burning  of  Rome,  gloated  in  debauchery 
and  dissipation.  The  Egyptian  luxuri- 
ated at  the  festival  on  the  Nile.  The 
Englishman  thrilled  at  the  Derby  or 
Cricket.  The  Spanish  senorita  flirted  at 
the  bull  fight  or  sparkled  at  the  fiesta. 
J he  Norseman  fused  with  the  Mid- 
summer’s Eve  merrymaking.  Our  Co- 
lonial dames  and  sires  disported  in  the 
Quadrille  or  curtsied  and  bowed  in  the 
stately  minuet.  The  South  Sea  islander 
regaled  his  queen  at  the  Feast  of  the 
Flowers.  The  Oriental  sprinted  and 
dashed  at  the  gymkhana.  All,  as  some 
sage  has  said,  for  the  feast  of  reason  and 
the  flow  of  the  soul. 

Varied  as  the  individual;  diffuse  as 
his  ambitions;  far-flung  as  his  tastes; 
widespread  as  his  ideal  is  man’s  enter 
tainment. 

Who  dares  to  hold  a cold  concrete 
cube  of  ice  in  his  hand  and  keep  it  so? 
Who  is  so  bold  as  to  try  to  pick  up  the 
drops  and  reassemble  them  as  a com- 
plete entity?  Who  has  the  courage  to 
interpret  conclusively  the  nebulous  term, 
entertainment  ? 

Isabelle  Daniel. 


RAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


yhe  iUtenihcf  Post 


(Comments  on  Radio) 
( In  Hollywood  ) 


BY 

HOWARD  WALTER  FISK 


HEN  KNX,  now  the  key  station  for 
the  West  Coast  for  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System,  first  went  on  the 
air — really,  the  very  first  time— the  edi- 
tor of  the  Hollywood  Spectator  stepped 
up  to  the  mike  and  said,  “This  is  KNX, 
the  Voice  of  Hollywood."  From  that 
day  to  this — now  more  than  ever  be- 
fore— KNX  has  been  and  is  truly  the 
voice  of  Hollywood,  the  one  station  in 
the  world  which  is  more  closely  asso- 
ciated in  the  public’s  mind  with  the 
picture  industry  than  any  other. 

Thus,  we  might  say,  that  the  Specta- 
tor was  the  first  to  recognize  that  this 
station  would  become  the  important  link 
between  filmdom  and  the  rest  of  the 
nation  that  it  has  become. 

For  some  time  the  editor  and  staff  of 
the  Spectator  have  considered  adding 
comments  on  radio  to  the  contents  of 
the  magazine.  Today’s  page  is  the  start. 
Only  time  will  tell  us  whether  to  keep 
it  up  and  whether  it  will  be  appreciated 
by  the  folk  of  the  radio.  No  promises 
are  made  as  to  what  we  shall,  or  shall 
not  do.  Certainly  as  long  as  this  writer 
has  anything  to  do  with  the  page,  he 
will  follow  the  established  policy  of  the 
magazine  — the  truth  as  he  hears  it, 
come  the  hot  place  and  high  water. 

Mush  and  Mikes 

q Why  is  it  that  so  many  of  our  top 
motion  picture  stars  are  such  flops  on 
radio?  There  are  quite  a number  of 
them  who  just  cannot  seem  to  click, 
and  yet  they  are  called  back  time  and 
time  again  by  the  agencies  handling  the 
shows.  The  effect  of  their  radio  ap- 
pearances, as  far  as  this  scribe  feels,  is 
that  they  have  said  to  themselves,  “Here’s 
a chance  to  pick  up  a little  extra  money 
— my  name  will  carry  me.”  The  fact 
is,  their  names  do  not  carry  them  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Q.  Public,  and  such 
bad  performances  are  bound  to  affect 
the  “take”  at  the  box-office  when  their 
pictures  are  shown.  Radio  is  an  audible 
art,  not  a visual  medium,  and  no  mat- 
ter how  effective  a star  might  be  in  pic- 
tures, when  he  or  she  mushes  into  a 
mike  the  millions  of  listeners  twist  the 
dial  to  points  starboard,  and  in  a hurry. 

Roses  to  Rosemary 

Rosemary  De  Camp  has  long  been 
one  of  our  favorite  radio  actresses.  For 
a couple  of  seasons  now  she  has  had  the 
colorless  role  of  Judy  in  Dr.  Christian. 
Then  she  went  on  I Want  a Divorce, 
and  with  telling  effect.  Her  support  of 
William  Powell  recently  on  Silver  The- 
atre was  a swell  job.  I am  glad  she  is 
getting  better  breaks.  She  is  as  good,  in 
most  respects,  as  Lurene  Tuttle,  Helen 
Woods  and  others  more  favored  in  the 
past.  And  she  improves  in  her  work 


with  every  boost  in  billing.  A rose  to 
Rosemary. 

And  to  Nan  Grey 

<|  The  several  picture  actresses,  appear- 
ing frequently  on  radio,  who  please  me 
most  with  their  voices  and  talent  are — • 
cheers  for  the  Irish!  — the  Maureens, 
O’Hara  and  O’Sullivan,  Geraldine  Fitz- 
patrick and  (no  Irish  here)  Nan  Grey, 
who  is  heard  each  week  on  Those  We 
Love.  Some  day  in  the  near  future  it  is 
our  purpose  to  devote  some  space  to  a 
comparison  of  the  two  top  serials  One 
Man's  Family  and  the  Agnes  Ridgeway 
(“TWL”)  script.  But  for  the  time 
being,  here  is  a rose  for  Nan  Grey.  Her 
voice  is  so  pleasing,  her  character  of 
Kathie  so  well  done.  A grand  combina- 
tion of  writing  and  acting.  Universal 
has  a real  property  in  Nan,  who  has  a 
bright  future. 

Odds  and  Ends 

<1  Do  you  agree  that  the  Dr.  Christian 
scripts  have  been  much  better  this  sea- 
son than  last?  I think  so — even  though 
they  go  a bit  overboard  on  hokum  at 
times. 

Aside  to  Mark  Finley  of  KHJ : I 

have  taken  a rain  check  on  that  visit  to 
your  television  broadcast.  I am  intense- 
ly interested,  but  have  been  very  busy. 
Save  me  a seat. 

Late  congratulations  item:  ToKMPC 
for  its  Columbia  affiliation  and  for  its 
sports  round  table  with  Claude  New- 
man, Gene  Coughlan,  Max  Stiles,  John 
Connolly  and  Ed  Kauch,  five  triple- 
threat players. 

If  Virginia  Sale  of  Those  We  Love 
is  not  a reincarnation  of  Aunt  Josephine 
who  lived  next  door  to  my  grandmoth- 
er, she  is  getting  ghostly  coaching  from 
the  old  lady.  Every  time  she  speaks  I 
am  transported  to  Hale,  Carroll  County, 
Missouri  (pop.  400),  and  twenty-odd 
years  drop  off  my  life  (in  imagination 
only  ) . 

LISTENING  TO  AIR  SHOWS 

Silver  Theatre  (Sun.,  KNX- 
CBS)  : Conrad  Nagle  is  director  of  this 
series  which  is  sometimes  pure  silver 
and  other  times  has  a “tinny”  ring  to 
it.  Often  it  proves  the  radio  players 
who  support  the  stars  are  much  the  bet- 
ter actors. 

Pull  Over  Neighbor  (Mon., 
KHJ):  An  interesting  and  wholly 

painless  way  in  which  to  learn  about 
your  California.  Some  of  the  odd  facts 
brought  are  surprising,  many  humorous. 

Bergen  - McCarthy  (Sun.,  KFI- 
NBC)  : They  said  that  Bergen  could 

not  hold  this  program  up  without  its 
former  bolstering.  He  is.  And  thank 
heaven  he  has  spared  us  a torch  singer, 


although  at  times  Vera  Vague  is  about 
as  bad. 

Johnny  Murry  (Daily,  KFI) : An 
early  morning  chat,  presented  in  a pleas- 
ing manner  and  with  highly  interesting 
material. 

Lux  Radio  Theatre  (Mon.,  KNX- 
CBS ) : This  is  the  most  carefully  and 
effectively  produced  of  any  radio  show. 
The  material,  both  writing  and  acting, 
is  not  always  as  strong  as  it  might  be, 
but  the  flawless  production  makes  you 
think  it  is.  (Cecil  B.De  Mille,  director.) 

Arch  Obler’s  Plays  (Sat.,  KFI- 
NBC)  : Obler  is  considered  a genius, 

and  I confess  that  he  has  written  some 
stuff  which  I would  have  given  my  eye 
teeth  to  have  written.  But — week  in 
and  week  out — these  plays  are  (I  can- 
not resist  it)  Obler-rated.  They  have, 
however,  fine  casts,  but  the  pace  of  the 
scripts  makes  a jackrabbit  out  of  a 
tortoise. 

Bob  Hope  (Tues.,  KFLNBC)  : Ye 
gods.  Every  week  the  same  thing.  Fun. 
Fun.  FUN.  If  I were  a college  fresh- 
man, I would  be  madly  in  love  with 
Judy  Garland’s  voice,  even  though  I 
had  never  seen  her.  Jerry  Colonna  is 
either  v.g.  or  utterly  n.g. — no  half-way 
measures  with  him.  “Brenda  and  Co- 
vina” are  now  stale  stuff! 

Hollywood  Playhouse  (Wed., 
KFLNBC)  : Charles  Boyer  has  always 
impressed  me  as  being  utterly  ineffective 
on  the  air,  as  compared  with  his  splen- 
did screen  appearances.  But — mark  this 
well — there  bas  seldom  been  a finer  ra- 
dio characterization  than  his  Cyrano. 
There  was  a job! 

Texaco  Star  Theatre  (Wed., 
KNX-CBS)  : The  commercials  on  this 
show  stress  the  fact  that,  “Your  motor 
starts  cold  but  runs  hot.”  This  show 
starts  hot  and  runs  cold!  The  half  pro- 
duced in  Hollywood  with  Ken  Murray, 
Kenny  Baker,  Irene,  Frances  Langford 
and  Jimmy  Wallington,  does  a pretty 
good  job  of  getting  the  hour  off  to  a 
warm  start,  but  those  New  York  half- 
hour  dramas  are  so,  so  dull  and  so  bad- 
ly produced.  (Aside  to  Ken  Murray, 
“The  Murray  Family”  sketches  are  using 
up  your  anti-freeze.) 

Good  News  (Thurs.,  KFLNBC)  : 
Somehow  this  show  never  quite  clicks, 
and  I think  it  is  because  there  are  too 
many  people  on  it  who  are  trying  to  be 
funny.  Bill  Gargan  and  Benny  Rubin 
over-do  their  stuff  (make  it  shorter  and 
funnier),  Baby  Snooks  (Fanny  Brice) 
is  always  up  to  snuff.  And,  is  Meredith 
Willson  the  maestro  or  the  minstrel 
man?  He  cannot  be  both  for  my  money. 
Edward  Arnold  m.c.’s,  and  it  is  a tough 
job  on  that  show! 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  NINE 


BY 

DAVID  BRUNO  USSHER 


Jilin  JfluAic  and  Jlfo  tflakerA 


REAL  SCREEN  SCORE 

•J  Those  who  are  familiar  with  Max 
Steiner’s  work  covering  the  last  half 
dozen  years  will  agree,  I believe,  that 
his  music  for  the  Warner  picture  Dr. 
Ehrlich  s Magic  Bullet  rates  among  his 
most  worthwhile  contributions  to  the 
art  of  film  music.  In  the  first  place,  it 
aids  the  picture  considerably.  Here  is 
screen  music  in  the  ideal  sense,  sustain- 
ing long  scenes  of  subtle  growing  dra- 
matic progress  and  intensity.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  scores  to  describe  be- 
cause of  its  nature,  which  is  unspectacu- 
lar as  the  acting  and  the  film  as  a whole. 
And  this  is  as  it  should  be,  for  other- 
wise it  would  be  music  leading  its  own 
course  and  separate  life,  and  thereby  be 
of  no  service  to  the  screen. 

One  speaks  so  readily  of  the  enter- 
tainment purpose  of  the  film.  Here,  too, 
is  entertainment,  if  it  must  be  called 
thus,  but  of  a gripping,  deeply  absorb- 
ing, stimulating  and  challenging  nature. 
It  is  not  a pretty  subject,  nor  is  it  a 
pretty  tale,  that  story  of  hide-bound 
scientists,  of  red  - tape  - stringers,  filled 
with  prejudice,  and  breeding  the  same, 
against  a pioneer  who  has  divinatory 
knowledge,  but  not  the  proofs  as  yet. 
A great  human  document  is  this  film 
and  Steiner  has  framed  and  lighted  it 
musically  with  true  loyalty  to  the  screen. 

Few  Themes 

•I  Steiner  has  based  this  long  score  for 
Dr.  Ehrlich  s Magic  Bullet  on  a limited 
number  of  themes.  The  effect  of  the 
picture  is  heightened  by  music  of  par- 
alleling rather  than  supplementary  mean- 
ing. The  intellectual,  emotional,  gen- 
eral dramatic  grip,  suspense,  the  strug- 
gle and  the  friendly  warmth  of  the  story 
have  been  intensified  by  music  which 
does  not  criss-cross  the  mental  picture 
with  melodic  lines.  To  repeat,  it  is  a 
greatly  sustaining  score.  The  story  of 
the  film  is  that  of  a scientist.  Robinson 
leaves  no  doubt  of  the  man's  compassion, 
honesty  and  selflessness  of  aim,  of  his 
gentleness  and  determination.  T he  mu- 
sic makes  him  the  finer,  truer,  softer 
and  stronger. 

A hero  in  a chemist’s  smock  cuts  no 
heroic  figure,  but  the  music  is  like  the 
microscope  Professor  Ehrlich  employs; 
it  is  like  the  very  dyes  by  which  he 
identified  certain  elements.  A permeat- 
ingly  psychologized  score,  which  must 
sound  engaging,  although  there  is  no 
boy-meets-girl’  romance  in  the  story. 
There  is  the  romance  of  science,  and  a 
deep  love  between  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ehr- 
lich. Steiner  has  emphasized  that  human 
relationship  with  charming  felicity,  using 
a waltz,  employing  the  Du,  Du  liegst 
mir  am  Herzen  folk  song  when  Frau 
Ehrlich  knows  that  Ehrlich  will  not  be 


many  years  more.  The  bond  between 
an  elderly  couple  facing  the  closing 
doors  of  life  could  hardly  have  been 
hinted  with  more  lovable  forcefulness. 
It  would  have  been  so  easy  to  wax  mu- 
sically melodramatic  or  cheaply  operatic. 
Perhaps  it  is  something  in  the  Viennese 
Steiner  who  could  bring  up  this  naively 
ardent  melody  and  bring  it  in  once  more 
during  the  final  farewell. 

Music  for  Microbes 

CJ  Steiner  has  splendid  collaboration 
from  Hugo  Friedhofer,  his  orchestrator. 
in  shaping  the  music  with  a gradual- 
ness which  is  never  monotonous,  yet 
which  expresses  search  and  pressure  to- 
wards a goal,  and  not  violent,  obvious- 
ly climactic  action.  I would  find  it  hard 
to  define  the  themes  of  the  various  main 
characters.  They  melt  into  the  general 
basic  purpose  of  the  music.  There  is 
healing  theme,  often  heard  in  the  high 
violoncello  position.  The  music  ac- 
companying the  episode  in  which  the 
blind  man  begins  to  see  again,  is  like 
the  removing  of  tonal  opaqueness,  layer 
after  layer.  Clever  indeed  is  the  use  of 
bells  (light  ones,  probably  glockespiel ) 
when  Ehrlich,  for  the  first  time,  shows 
his  slide  of  microbe  photographs,  i.e., 
the  bacilli  light  colored  against  black 
background.  The  bell-like  notes  have 
a quite  evident  significance.  One  can 
hear  in  the  music  also  something  de- 
scriptive of  Ehrlich's  words  about  the 
’’slow  forward  turning  motion  of  the 
baccili."  Notable  bits  of  writing  ac- 
company also  the  scenes  in  the  children’s 
ward. 

Eloquent  Silences 

<J  One  has  come  to  assume  that  it  was 
well  and  proper  not  to  have  music  dur- 
ing certain  political  speeches  of  Juarez 
and  during  Lincoln  In  Illinois  on  the 
ground  that  these  were  realistic  mo- 
ments. What  of  the  music,  then,  dur- 
ing scientific  discussions  in  this  screen 
play  of  Dr.  Ehrlich  and  his  magic  bul- 
lets? It  is  a very  real  and  quietly  bitter 
quarrel  when  Ehrlich  and  Behring  part 
ways  at  a critical  moment,  yet  the  use 
of  a waltz  is  quite  natural,  and  it  still 
is  natural  when  the  waltz  turns  into  an 
indication  of  something  deeply  disturb- 
ing having  transpired. 

I have  not  the  space  to  point  out 
when  Steiner,  during  some  of  Robin- 
son's most  profound  moments  (and  he 
is  immensely  moving,  true  of  detail  and 
emotionally  affecting  always)  with- 
draws music  altogether  and  leaves  the 
scene  exclusively  to  Robinson.  Prob- 
lems have  been  solved  here  practically, 
for  which  one  cannot  set  up  rules.  Story, 
script,  direction,  the  actor — they  are 
values  never  twice  alike,  yet  the  com- 


poser has  provided  a tonal  counter-part 
as  natural  and  varied  as  a man's  shadow 
in  the  presence  of  the  sun  or  the  moon. 
Steiner  is  a natural  composer  for  the 
screen. 

In  this  production  a great  deal  of 
music  occurs  during  dialogue.  I am 
glad  to  say  that  music  never  interferes 
with  the  dialogue,  partly  thanks  to  the 
Steiner-Friedhofer  treatment,  also  thanks 
to  good  recording  and  dubbing.  Irving 
Rapper,  director  of  dialogue;  Robert  R. 
Lee  in  charge  of  sound,  and  general  mu- 
sic director,  Leo  F.  Forbstein.  all  work- 
ed toward  excellent  results. 

GULLIVER  AGAIN 

OPINIONS  differ  quite  often  not  only 
regarding  the  character,  but  also  rela- 
tive to  the  amount  of  music  in  a mo- 
tion picture  production.  The  nature  of 
the  story,  more  often  yet,  the  preference 
and  the  pocketbook  of  the  producer  de- 
termine the  answer  rather  than  any 
pr-nciple.  There  is  general  agreement 
only  in  the  case  of  animated  (i.e.,  car- 
toon) motion  pictures,  which  are  ac- 
companied invariably  by  music  from 
start  to  finish.  The  latest  example  of 
this  unanimity  of  opinion  comes  to  the 
screen  now  in  the  Fleischer-Paramount 
production  of  Gulliver's  Travels  for 
which  Victor  Young  has  composed  a 
cleverly  atmospheric  score. 

As  many  as  seven  songs  occur  in  the 
film  which  runs  less  than  ninety  min- 
utes. If  the  high-rating  of  such  tunes 
as  Faithful  Forever,  Hap-Hap-Happy 
Day  and  / Hear  a Dream  is  any  indica- 
tion of  the  ability  of  Producer  Max 
and  Director  Dave  Fleischer  to  pick 
"best  sellers,”  then  they  were  right. 
How  these  songs  will  do  for  the  film 
in  years  to  come  remains  to  be  seen. 

About  Songs 

<]]  In  other  words,  songs  can  soon  sound 
“dated.”  However,  music  so  organic- 
ally part  of  atmosphere  and  action  as 
Young’s,  without  any  attempt  other 
than  to  strengthen  the  visual  in  its  own 
terms  of  rhythm  and  color,  is  apt  to 
share  more  fully  the  longevity  which 
one  may  predict  for  Gulliver's  Travels. 

I have  no  fault  to  find  with  Faithful 
Forever  and  the  Dream  by  Rainger  and 
Robin,  nor  with  Happy  Day  which  is 
accredited  to  Messrs.  Timberg-Neiburg 
Sharpies.  They  are  quoted  at  the  head 
of  weekly  “hit  parade  listings"  in  the 
trade  papers,  but  at  present  I can  say 
but  very  little  for  them.  Perhaps  if  I 
hear  them  again  under  less  noisy  cir- 
cumstances than  the  other  night  I may 
change  my  mind.  But  fully  half  of  the 
seven  songs,  I am  convinced,  are  below 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


average  ingenuity.  They  lack  spirit. 

Two  nationally  popular  singers,  Jes- 
sica Dragonette  and  Lanny  Ross  lend 
their  voices  to  the  princess  and  the 
prince,  who,  of  course,  supply  the  ro- 
mantic element.  None  of  the  singing 
sounds  particularly  endearing.  In  fact, 
the  first  soprano  solo  song  is  marred  by 
a continuous  and  jittery  tremolo,  and 
Lanny  Ross  does  not  sing  evenly  all 
the  time,  despite  the  simplicity  of  the 
melodies. 

Artistic  Skill 

•J  Gulliver’s  Travels  is  such  excellent 
entertainment,  and  such  a high  blend  of 
mirth,  satire  and  inventively  applied 
artistic  skill,  that  the  weaknesses  I have 
mentioned  matter  little.  I know  that 
Dave  and  Max  Fleischer  have  spared  no 
efforts  to  serve  beauty  quite  as  much  as 
necessary  box-office  considerations.  They 
have  served  the  screen  well  and  I am 
sure  with  due  material  gain  as  well. 

Both  Fleischers  have  planned  and 
made  Gulliver’s  Travels  with  acute  un- 
derstanding and  concern  for  musical 
possibilities.  Not  only  had  every  scene 
been  calculated  in  terms  of  beats  and 
measures,  so  as  to  leave  Composer 
Young  room  to  make  naturally  and 
dramatically  coursing  music,  but  the 
visual  action  has  been  designed  with  a 
sense  of  phrasing,  rhythm  and  long  sus- 
tained cadence,  which  makes  the  com- 
plete picture  something  enjoyable  in 
the  sense  visual  action  rhythm  and  flow. 

This  has.  of  course,  helped  Young 
in  writing  the  score,  difficult  as  it  must 
have  been  to  compose  music  for  a pic- 
ture containing  so  much  minute  and  so 
much  simultaneous,  and  often  speedy 
motion.  He  has  succeeded  brilliantly, 
in  terms  of  action  and  moods. 

Clever  Ideas 

fl  Perhaps  the  Fleischers  thought  it  wise 
to  provide  points  of  rest  in  the  constant 
movement  of  story-action  when  they 
left  space  for  seven  songs,  although  two 
of  these  tunes  are  lively  enough,  espe- 
cially the  All’s  Well.  For  that  matter 
one  of  the  chief  action  motives  in  the 
entire  film  is  based  on  the  quarrel  and 
the  war  between  two  Lilliputian  kings 
as  to  which  song  shall  be  sung  at  the 
wedding  of  their  children. 

It  would  blunt  the  point  of  Fleischer 
humor  to  tell  more,  except  that  later  on 
both  songs  are  aptly  combined  into  one. 
This  is  a film-musical  idea,  much  to 
their  credit. 

Young  has  written  capital  music  for 
the  grand  “alarum”  when  Gabby  races 
up  hill  and  down  dale  like  streaked 
lightning  to  spread  the  horror  tale  of 
the  presence  of  the  giant  on  the  beach. 
The  mobilization  music  preceding  the 
war  is  neat,  too. 

One  of  the  most  adroit  and  minutely 
elaborate  pieces  of  musical  writing  oc- 
curs during  the  tying  and  hoisting  up 


of  Gulliver,  ending  with  genuine  sun- 
rise music.  Badly  reproduced  at  the 
preview,  it  sounded  then  monotonous. 

The  search  for  the  Giant  at  night  on 
the  beach,  when  Young  counterpoints 
the  flitting  lantern  lights,  the  music  of 
the  waves,  also  episodes  for  Bombo’s 
spies  and  for  his  bird-messengers,  are 
but  a few  instances  in  a fascinatingly 
illustrative  cartoon  score. 

* * * 

Columbia  Recordings  include  a Bala- 
laika album  featuring  Ilona  Massey  and 
Nelson  Eddy.  Decca  has  two  more  pic- 
ture albums  in  the  offing.  One  is  to 
contain  all  the  film  songs  Marlene  Deit- 
rich  has  sung,  beginning  with  Blue 
Angel.  The  other  album  is  devoted  to 
Disney's  Pinocchio.  Curiously  enough, 
the  musical  director  for  the  last  named 
is  Victor  Young,  composer-conductor 
for  the  feature-length  cartoon  Gulliver's 
T ravels. 

;jc  * * 

Edmund  Goulding  will  direct  a War- 
ner Brothers  re-filming  of  Margaret 
Kennedy’s  amusing  and  yet  by  no  means 
entirely  light  novel  The  Constant 
Nymph.  It  contains  psychological  prob- 
lems of  broad  character,  complicated  by 
a composer’s  temperament.  Whoever 
will  be  assigned  to  do  the  score  has  a 
wonderful  chance  for  pointed  and  poig- 
nant musical  hinting.  The  film  con- 
tains a concert  episode  in  which  a sym- 
phony is  being  premiered.  In  the  Lon- 
don-made film  a part  of  a Sinfometta 
by  Goossens  has  been  interpolated.  War- 
ners should  have  music  written  for  the 
occasion,  and  it  might  be  based  on  the- 
matic material  used  earlier  in  the  film. 
Goulding,  it  is  good  to  know,  is  a 
music-minded  screen  director,  but  so  are 
Jack  Warner  and  his  production  chief, 
Hal  Wallis. 

and  JilinA 

By  Ina  Roberts 

<J  The  Foster  Memorial  Library  at 
Pittsburgh  LIniversity  (Stephen  Foster 
was  born  at  Pittsburgh  ) produced  pho- 
tographs and  drawings  of  his  birthplace 
that  enabled  Twentieth  Century-Fox  to 
re-create  the  house  for  Swanee  River. 
In  addition  the  library  helped  materially 
in  showing  the  studio  what  Don  Ame- 
che,  Andrea  Leeds  and  A1  Jolson  should 
look  like  in  their  respective  roles  of 
Foster,  his  wife  and  E.  P.  Christy,  the 
minstrel  man. 

Closer  cooperation  between  films  and 
museums  is  to  be  desired.  This  is  still 
another  strand  among  the  many  that 
are  weaving  films  into  the  fabric  of  our 
national  life.  That  films  are  realizing 
their  responsibility  in  the  matter  is  evi- 
denced in  the  article  following. 

I have  mentioned  before  the  fact  that 
recent  films  based  on  the  history  of 


various  cities  is  bringing  those  cities 
closer  to  all  of  us;  the  premieres  held  in 
the  towns  bring  actual  business,  some- 
thing most  places  and  most  people  neec 
today.  Perhaps  the  time  is  coming  when 
we  shall  realize  that  it  is  not  competi- 
tion that  is  the  life  of  trade;  it  is  co- 
operation. Competition  helps  one  (per- 
haps) ; cooperation  helps  all  concerned. 

The  $75,000  Dr.  Paul  Ehrlich  col- 
lection gathered  by  Warners  for  props 
in  The  Magic  Bullet  will  be  sent  to  New 
York  for  exhibition  at  the  premiere. 
Let  us  hope  this  collection  will  finally 
find  its  way  to  the  appropriate  Museum. 

Films  and  Museums 

<7  I quote  in  the  following  Walter 
Wanger*  newly  elected  president  of  the 
Academy  of  Motion  Picture  Arts  and 
Sciences : “"The  8,500  creative  artists  of 
Hotly woocTand  the  85,000,000  weekly 
theatregoers  of  the  LInited  States  have 
more  in  common  than  mere  entertain- 
ment,” says  Mr.  Wanger.  “The  screen 
is  the  greatest  single  social  influence, 
expanding  as  well  as  interpreting  the 
American  way  of  living  for  the  whole 
world.  There  should  be  closer  under- 
standing between  the  film  creators  and 
their  audience.” 

Wanger  Speaks 

CJ  The  premiere  of  Abe  Lincoln  in  Illi- 
nois at  Lincoln  Memorial  Universty. 
Harrogate,  Tennessee,  January  27th  was 
a triple  jubilee,  commemorating  the  fif- 
tieth anniversary  of  the  University  and 
the  film  industry,  also  of  the  nearby 
city  of  Middlesboro,  Kentucky. 

As  part  of  the  celebration,  the  Lin- 
coln University  is  offering  two  prize 
scholarships  to  high  school  seniors  in 
the  United  States  who  write  the  best 
essay  on  the  subject,  “A  Student  Looks 
at  Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois.” 

The  first  prize  will  be  a four-year 
scholarship  covering  room,  board  and 
tuition;  the  second,  a scholarship  cov- 
ering one-half  these  expenses.  The  con- 
test will  begin  on  Lincoln’s  birthday, 
1940  and  end  at  midnight  May  15, 
1940.  Winners  wil  be  announced  June 
3,  1940.  Robert  E.  Sherwood,  author 
of  the  Pulitzer  Prize  play  and  adapter 
of  the  film,  wil  be  one  of  the  judges; 
the  others  include  University  officials. 
* * * 

We  never  know  which  minute  will 
be  our  next.  Nan  Grey’s  interest  was 
aroused  in  a new  hobby  when  she  saw 
the  aray  of  pewter  ware  used  as  props 
in  the  kitchen  and  dining  room  sets  or 
The  House  of  Seven  Gables  now  in  pro- 
duction at  Universal  Studios.  As  soon 
as  she  finishes  work  on  the  film  Nan 
will  concentrate  on  getting  a collection 
of  early  New  England  pewter  ware. 


★ When  block-booking  is  abolished  the 
exhibitor  will  need  a source  of  un- 
equivocally reliable  reviews.  The  Spec- 
tator affords  them. 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


Screen  Academy  and  the  Jield  jft  CcCerA 


By  Donald  Gledhill 
Executive  Secretary.  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  for  publication 
in  the  Spectator  and  the  Journal  of 

Educational  Sociology.  New  York 

ENT  ION  the  Academy  of  Motion 
Picture  Arts  and  Sciences  in  almost 
any  part  of  the  civilized  world  and  you 
will  hear  the  statement:  "Oh,  yes, 

that’s  the  organization  which  presents 
gold  Statuettes,  called  'Oscars,’  for  the 
outstanding  achievements  in  motion  pic- 
tures each  year." 

The  annual  Awards  selection,  how- 
ever, is  only  one  of  the  Academy’s  activ- 
ities, the  others  being  of  specialized  im- 
portance within  the  industry  and  not 
brought  to  general  public  attention. 
The  major  functions  of  the  Academy 
since  its  inception  in  1927  have  been 
to  uphold  the  cooperative  idea  in  a 
highly  competitive  and  temperamental 
milieu,  to  maintain  authoritative  in- 
formational facilites,  and  to  serve  as  the 
social  tree  from  which  have  sprung 
(sometimes  explosively)  most  of  the 
other  important  organized  talent  groups 
within  the  motion  picture  production 
industry.  I he  word  production  is  em- 
phasized as  the  Academy  has  at  no  time 
been  involved  with  either  distribution 
or  exhibition. 

Prior  to  Its  Founding 

•I  Before  the  founding  of  the  Academy 
there  had  been  little  attempt  to  organ- 
ize groups  among  the  picture  people 
either  for  exchange  of  creative  ideas,  so- 
cial activities  or  economic  protection. 
Hollywood  was  a town  of  individual- 
ists, surging  from  the  boom  years  fol- 
lowing the  war.  If  a studio  and  an  ar- 
tist had  a contractual  difference  it  was 
publicly  aired  in  the  courts.  In  the 
technical  field  each  studio  jealousy  guard- 
ed whatever  mechanical  experiments 
were  being  made.  Science  was  hardly 
aspired  to  and  the  mention  of  art  was 
still  very  self-conscious. 

No  one  conferred  with  anyone  except 
his  immediate  employer.  Each  actor, 
director  and  writer  stood  alone  and 
fought  his  own  battles,  although  it 
should  be  pointed  out  that  a good  deal 
of  camaraderie  had  carried  over  from  the 
pioneering  and  bonanza  periods.  If  the 
individuals  were  not  organized  as  we 
think  of  organization  now,  neither  were 
the  studios.  It  was  only  toward  the  end 
of  the  era  before  sound  that  motion  pic- 
tures became  an  integrated  industry. 

Originally  Five  Branches 

Then  in  May,  1927,  the  Academy 
of  Motion  Picture  Arts  was  organized. 


and  Hollywood  began  to  be  group  con- 
scious. 

The  Academy  was  originally  set  up 
with  five  branches — Actors,  Directors, 
Producers,  Technicians  and  Writers. 
Each  group  had  equal  representation  on 
the  controlling  Board  of  Governors  and 
a semi-autonomous  branch  organization 
of  its  own.  T he  late  Douglas  Fairbanks 
was  elected  first  president.  The  decision 
to  honor  distinguished  achievements  was 
reached  and  the  Annual  Awards  came 
into  being. 

Subsequent  presidents  have  included 
Conrad  Nagel,  William  C.  de  Mille, 
J.  T.  Reed,  M.  C Levee,  Frank  Lloyd 
and  Frank  Capra  (current) , each  serv- 
ing more  than  one  term.  The  late  Irv- 
ing G.  Thalberg  was  active  in  the  lead- 
ership for  many  years.  The  present 
membership  is  about  800. 

Stimulates  Community  Morale 

<f  While  the  Academy  from  the  begin- 
ning has  been  an  exclusive,  invi- 
tational organization,  with  professional 
achievement  as  a requisite,  the  idea  of 
all  branches  of  creative  talent  meeting 
around  a common  table  has  stimulated 
the  morale  of  the  entire  community.  The 
Academy  was  unique  at  its  founding 
and  still  remains  the  only  example  in 
a major  industry  of  a professional  or- 
ganization in  which  the  responsible  ex- 
ecutives of  competitive  companies  and 
a wide  diversity  of  employees  meet  as 
individuals,  discussing  and  taking  action 
on  industry  problems. 

The  singular  nature  of  picture  pro- 
duction, in  which  a star  or  director  may 
receive  more  salary  than  a ranking  ex- 
ecutive and  in  which  the  same  individual 
may  be  employed  as  a writer  a director 
and  a producer  in  the  same  year,  contrib- 
uted to  the  practicality  of  this  idea  until 
the  rising  tide  of  strictly  labor  union 
orgnaization,  following  the  NRA,  pro- 
vided more  forceful  machinery  for  deal- 
ing with  economic  problems  and  the 
Academy  withdrew  entirely  from  the 
economic  field. 

Takes  Over  Relief  Fund 

<J  The  theory  of  individual  personal 
participation  on  the  basis  of  general  in- 
dustry good  citizenship,  without  regard 
to  economic  status,  continues  to  char- 
acterize the  Academy  and  provides  ef- 
fective machinery  for  cooperative  activi- 
ties. 

One  of  the  first  responsibilities  early 
recognized  by  the  new  Academy  was 
that  of  caring  for  the  needy  veterans  of 
even  so  young  an  industry.  In  1929, 
one  of  the  most  important  steps  ever 
taken  in  Hollywood  was  that  of  remov- 


ing the  Motion  Picture  Relief  Fund  from 
the  Community  Chest  and  establishing 
it  within  the  industry,  the  means  of  as- 
sessing employed  actors  a percentage  of 
their  salaries  for  support  of  the  fund 
being  worked  out  by  the  Academy. 

With  technicians  from  all  studios 
drawn  together  for  the  first  time  came 
the  realization  that  Hollywood  should 
have  a central  group  of  engineers  work- 
ing for  the  common  advancement.  The 
result  was  the  setting  up  of  the  Academy 
Research  Council.  The  best  technical 
brains  of  all  major  studios  here  work 
together  with  the  result  that  their  re- 
search, coordination  and  standardization 
have  been  worth  untold  thousands  of 
dollars  to  the  studios.  The  abrupt 
change  to  sound  pictures  in  1929-30 
brought  increasing  importance  and  com- 
plexity to  this  department. 

Given  Individual  Importance 

•J  Returning  to  the  matter  of  group 
consciousness,  the  fact  that  the  Acad- 
emy was  organized  by  branches  made 
each  one  more  conscious  of  its  individ- 
ual importance.  Together  with  the 
stresses  set  up  by  the  NRA,  the  result 
was  that  in  the  spring  of  1933  the 
Screen  Writers  Guild  came  into  active 
life  with  much  the  same  leadership  as 
had  been  elected  in  the  Academy  writers 
branch,  but  with  a definitely  labor 
union  organization  and  theory.  Similar- 
ly and  shortly  thereafter  the  Screen  Act- 
tors  Guild,  the  Society  of  Motion  Pic- 
ture Film  Editors  and  the  Screen  Pub- 
licists Guild. 

In  1 928  the  cameramen  organized 
under  the  International  Alliance  of 
Theatrical  Stage  Employees  and  Mov- 
ing Picture  Machine  Operators,  better 
known  as  the  IATSE.  By  1930  the 
sound  technicians  and  laboratory  work- 
ers were  organized  under  the  IATSE 
and  group  consciousnes  in  motion  pic- 
tures since  then  has  so  kept  pace  with 
the  general  trend  of  all  industry  that 
practically  every  unit  group  has  its  own 
organization,  including  even  office  work- 
ers. Hollywood  has  been  in  almost  con- 
stant internal  strife  for  the  past  five 
years,  a condition  now  gradually  com- 
ing to  balance  as  the  various  groups 
recognized  labor  unions. 

Awards  Become  Important 

Throughout  these  years,  while  bit- 
terness and  strife  among  various  groups 
and  the  producing  companies  have  been 
endemic,  while  group  fought  group  as 
well  as  the  studios,  the  Academy  has 
continued  as  one  organization  in  Holly- 
wood with  a cooperative  viewpoint  and 
consistent  purpose.  Each  year  the  An- 
nual Awards  of  Merit  have  become  of 
more  importance  to  the  Industry  and 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


of  wider  public  interest  because  the 
Academy  stresses  the  best  in  motion  pic- 
tures. The  awards  have  had  a marked 
influence  on  the  making  of  better  films, 
not  only  in  Hollywood  but  throughout 
the  world.  Creative  artists  prize  the 
Academy  awards  as  an  accolade  from 
their  peers  and  strive  to  merit  it. 

While  voting  was  originally  limited 
to  members,  in  recent  years  the  various 
Hollywood  groups  have  joined  in  the 
balloting,  under  the  continuous  spon- 
sorship of  the  Academy.  The  actors 
nominate  for  actor  awards,  writers  for 
writing  awards,  directors  for  the  best 
directing,  and  the  technicians  devote 
weeks  to  committees  and  special  show- 
ings in  the  selection  of  scientific  award 
winners.  The  final  ballot  goes  to  all 
groups,  including  extras. 

Library  of  Great  Value 

<|  The  Academy  has  built  up  a special- 
ized library  on  all  phases  of  motion 
pictures  until  today  it  ranks  among  the 
top  four  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  As 
almost  the  only  source  of  such  informa- 
tion in  Hollywood,  the  studios,  writ 
ers  on  film  subjects,  and  the  public  de- 
pend upon  this  library  for  reference  and 
statistical  data.  Valuable  collections  of 
stills,  early  trade  publications,  year- 
books and  scripts  have  contributed  to 
its  growth  during  the  past  year. 


Public  goodwill  is  also  cultivated  for 
the  industry  by  the  Academy  in  many 
practical  ways.  The  first  university 
courses  in  photoplay  appreciation  were 
set  up  with  Academy  cooperation,  and 
helpful  contact  is  maintained  with 
schools,  public  libraries  and  organiza- 
tions taking  an  intelligent  interest  in 
films.  The  studios  turn  over  to  the 
Academy  library  a heavy  volume  of 
mail  from  students  and  individuals  con- 
cerned with  more  serious  questions  than 
are  handled  by  the  fan  mail  and  pub- 
licity departments.  Inquiries  may  be 
sent  simply  to  the  Academy,  Holly- 
wood, or  to  the  more  specific  address: 
Academy  Library,  1455  North  Gordon 
Street,  Hollywood. 

Effected  Great  Savings 

In  a direct  way  the  Academy  has 
saved  motion  picture  actors  and  actresses 
thousands  of  dollars  during  the  past 
three  years.  Previously  Hollywood  was 
overrun  with  private  “casting  director- 
ies"— publications  containing  the  pho- 
tographs and  credits  of  players.  These 
were  commercially  exploited,  and  prices 
kept  beyond  the  means  of  lower-paid 
actors.  In  19  37  the  Academy  etsablish- 
ed  a unified  players  directory  service  to 
end  all  such  racketeering.  In  this  publi- 
cation all  names  are  treated  alike,  with 
the  biggest  star  allowed  no  larger  pho- 
tograph or  more  space  than  the  most 


minor  “bit”  player.  As  a result  the 
commercial  directories  have  left  the  field 
and  nearly  all  players  requiring  such 
representation  use  the  Academy  to  the 
advantage  of  themselves  and  the  studios. 

Until  a few  years  ago  there  was  no 
central  compilation  of  the  screen  credits 
and  contributing  credits  which  are  so 
important  to  individual  careers.  The 
Academy  now  publishes  a twice-month- 
ly, cumulative  bulletin  of  writer,  director 
and  production  credits  which  is  the 
official  reference  guide  for  the  industry. 

Common  Meeting  Place 

q While  Hollywood  is  the  accepted  cen- 
ter of  the  film  world,  it  remained  for 
the  Academy  to  establish  a common 
meeting  place  for  creative  personnel 
without  regard  to  studio  connection  or 
branch  of  talent.  The  physical  facilities 
have  varied  with  the  years  but  currently 
an  Academy  Review  Theatre  has  been 
equipped  with  the  finest  sound  projec- 
tion. In  it  the  Southern  California 
Film  Society,  fathered  by  the  Academy, 
holds  weekly  showings  of  films  which 
would  otherwise  rarely  be  seen  in  Holly- 
wood. These  include  classic  films  of  the 
past,  in  many  instances  using  the  only 
print  still  in  existence,  together  with 
unusual  features  from  Europe  and  South 
America  which  are  shown  to  the  Acad- 
emy membership  and  a limited  addition- 
al audience. 


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A Plea  and  a Play 

By 

WELFORD  BEATON 

Tells  why  too  much  dialogue  is  box- 
office  poison,  and  demonstrates  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  can  be  reduced. 

An  invaluable  little  volume  for  all 
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SPECTATOR 

6513  Hollywood  Boulevard 
Hollywood,  California 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


~TkU  HcUifU? W 


A BIG  BATTLE  LOOMS 

DELUGE  of  propaganda  pro  and 
con  the  Neely  bill  will  descend  upon 
an  innocent  public  during  the  next  few 
weeks.  With  the  anti-block  booking 
measure  already  passed  by  the  Senate 
and  likely  to  come  up  for  a vote  before 
the  House  ere  the  month  of  March  has 
closed,  approving  and  disapproving  fac- 
tions are  earnestly  contending  for  the 
sympathy  of  Mr.  John  Public.  Most 
of  the  campaigning  against  the  bill  is 
being  waged  by  the  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  Association, 
which  comprises  the  eight  major  pro- 
ducer-distributor organizaitons.  The 
most  eager  advocates  of  the  bill  are  the 
independent  theatre  owners,  though 
their  indorsement  is  not  unanimous,  it 
must  be  said.  Their  principal  mouth- 
piece is  the  Allied  States  Association  of 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors. 

This  latter  organization  is  issuing  a 
“white  book,'  which  will  be  devoted 
to  rectifying  assertedly  misleading  infor- 
mation disseminated  by  the  former 
group.  The  Parent-Teachers  societies 
and  even  the  National  Woman's  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union  are  to  be  among 
the  recipients  of  the  tract.  On  the  other 
hand,  no  less  than  1,000,000  booklets, 
entitled  “Let's  Kill  the  Movies!  No. 
Let’s  Kill  the  Neely  Bill.’’  are  to  be  cir- 
culated by  the  aroused  Motion  Picture 
Producers  and  Distributors  Association. 

Labor  Groups  Involved 

<1  The  entire  battle  fronts  are  much 
too  extensive  to  be  surveyed  here.  Even 
the  labor  groups  will  probably  enter 
the  fray.  The  C.I.O.  some  months  ago 
expressed  itself  as  supporting  the  Neely 
Bill.  Conversely,  the  A.  P.  of  L.  has 
taken  a customarily  counter  position. 
In  fact,  I have  already  received  some 
disaffirming  material  on  the  issue  from 
that  quarter.  The  contention  may  even 
tually  even  reach  the  screens  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  John  Public  up  till  now  has 
remained  disappointingly  unconcerned 
about  the  issue,  and  largely,  it  would 
seem,  because  of  the  issue's  complexity 
and  the  divergent  analyses  of  the  situ- 
ation put  forth  by  the  opposing  fac- 
tions; for  certainly  the  fate  of  the  mov- 
ies is  a matter  which  should  be  of 
high  concern  to  millions  of  fans.  At 
any  rate,  John  will  have  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  become  either  thoroughly  il- 
luminated or  more  befuddled  in  coming 
weeks. 

Other  Side  of  It 

{J 1 he  Spectator  has  made  no  secret  of 
its  stand  on  the  Neely  Bill.  Granting 
that  a few  provisions  of  the  bill  will 
need  further  interpretation  and  that  its 


passage  will  necessitate  considerable  re- 
adjustment within  the  industry,  it  be- 
lieves the  measure  as  a whole  is  a step 
in  the  right  direction.  The  benefits  its 
passage  will  bring  to  both  the  film  in- 
dustry and  the  public  have  been  set 
forth  too  many  times  in  recent  months 
to  need  repetition  here.  Suffice  to  say 
that  when  an  exhibitor  has  to  buy  fif- 
teen pictures  to  get  one  or  two  he  can 
use,  there  is  something  wrong  some- 
where. J he  film  industry  has  had  a 
long  time  to  clean  house  from  the  in- 
side and  has  not  done  it  to  everyone’s 
satisfaction. 

Nevertheless,  it  would  be  less  than 
fair  to  deny  the  opposition  a hearing. 
The  following  are  some  of  the  main  ar- 
guments advanced  by  the  Motion  Pic- 
ture Producers  and  Distributors  Associ- 
ation against  the  bill,  provided  for  our 
readers  who  have  not  yet  had  a book- 
let tossed  their  way.  The  substantial- 
ness of  the  various  assertions  the  reader 
can  judge  for  himself.  They  are  as 
follows : 

As  Producers  See  It 

•I  T he  Neely  Bill  would  destroy  ef- 
ficient, economical  marketing  of  films. 
It  would  result  in  an  increase  in  the 
cost  of  making  films,  or  a decrease  in 
the  production  value  of  pictures.  It 
would  result  in  financial  disaster  and 
chaos  for  the  industry. 

It  would  open  the  way  to  private 
pressure  censorship,  thereby  sharply  re- 
stricting the  freedom  of  the  American 
people  to  make  their  own  decisions  in 
selecting  their  motion  picture  entertain- 
ment. 

It  would  result  in  increased  admis- 
sion prices  for  the  public. 

It  would  reduce  substantially  the 
number  of  pictures  produced  each  year. 

It  would  curtail,  probably  by  as 
much  as  one-half,  the  number  of  people 
employed  in  the  industry. 

It  would  wreck  the  Production 
Code,  which  assured  decent  and  whole- 
some entertainment. 

“It  would  bankrupt  untold  exhibit- 
tors,  especially  in  small  towns. 

It  would  wreck  the  present  distribu- 
tion system,  which  enables  the  smallest 
theatres  in  the  country  to  play  the  ident- 
ical pictures  which  play  in  the  largest 
theatres,  and  at  a reasonable  rental  price 
which  the  local  exhibitors  can  pay,  and 
with  box-office  admission  prices  which 
all  the  public  can  afford  to  pay. 

It  would  compel  the  motion  picture 
industry  to  embark  on  an  untried  ex- 
periment over  the  protest  of  the  over- 
whelming majority  — at  least  90  per 
cent  — of  those  actually  responsible  for 
the  making  and  marketing  of  motion 
pictures.’’ 


WHAT  A PATRON  THINKS 

PROPOS  of  Neely  Bill.  I am  in  re- 
ceipt of  an  interesting  letter  from  a 
modest  one  who  prefers  to  be  known 
as  "A  Spectator  reader"  should  I refer 
to  her  comments,  a letter  which  sum- 
marizes the  viewpoints  of  the  layman 
with  respect  to  the  Neely  measure  and 
other  impending  federal  legislation  de- 
signed to  regulate  the  motion  picture 
industry.  I quote: 

"Your  excellent  and  thought  provok- 
ing article,  having  to  do  with  the  chang- 
es that  may  be  wrought  in  the  motion 
picture  industry  by  government  legisla- 
tion. moves  one  to  say  that  you  review- 
ers and  critics  are  not  the  only  ones  who 
are  doing  some  speculating  as  to  the 
outcome.  We  motion  picture  patrons 
are  doing  a bit  of  the  same,  although 
perhaps  along  different  lines. 

"Lor  instance,  while  we  understand 
to  a certain  extent  the  processes  of  block 
booking'  and  ‘theatre  chains’  and  other 
technicalities  having  to  do  with  the 
present  method  of  distribution,  it  is,  at 
the  same  time,  all  rather  vague  in  our 
minds,  and  we  feel  that  it  is  results 
alone  that  concern  us.  The  method  of 
accomplishment  is  up  to  the  motion  pic- 
ture industry,  if  it  wishes  to  build  up 
what  is  now  an  anemic  box-office. 

“If  we  go  on  from  there  with  a slight 
leaning  toward  the  unit  production — 
slight  because  we  do  not  know  a great 
deal  about  it,  although  it  sounds  good 
to  us — and  with  a feeling  that  perhaps 
some  independent  producers  in  the  field 
will  do  away  with  what  has  seemed  to 
us  to  be  a 'take  it  or  leave  it’  attitude 
on  the  part  of  the  industry.  And  yet, 
that  could  not  have  been  true  either,  be- 
cause what  bad  box-office  such  an  atti 
tude  would  be,  wouldn't  it? 

“Hope  that  we  will  be  spared  the  har- 
rowing details  of  enormous  production 
costs  beats  high  in  our  hearts.  Stupen- 
dous figures  have  been  hurled  at  us  un- 
til we  have  felt  the  burden  to  be  more 
than  we  could  bear.  We  also  hope  that 
the  keynote  of  production  under  the 
new  regime  will  be  wholesomeness  mix- 
ed with  buoyancy  — and  I do  mean 
buoyancy,  which  is  something  quite  dif- 
ferent than  mere  froth.  In  short,  we 
motion  picture  patrons  hope  that  the 
films  (how  we  love  ’em  when  they're 
good ) are  going  to  be  better  than  ever 
(please  note  the  absence  of  the  word 
bigger’) .” 

PRODUCTION  PLANS  ANNOUNCED 

FEWER  pictures  are  to  be  made  dur- 
* ing  the  1940-41  season.  Metro, 
Twentieth  Century  - Lox,  and  Para- 
mount studios  are  each  planning  to  offer 
exhibitors  only  forty  features  for  this 
period.  The  Metro  people’s  schedule  for 


PAGE  FOURTEEN 


HOl.T.YWOOD  SPECTATOR 


this  film  year — terminating  in  August — 
is  forty-six  pictures.  1 he  Fox  plant 
will  have  released  fifty-two.  These 
smaller  production  schedules  are  a good 
sign.  Manifestly  the  studios  have  been 
turning  out  too  many  pictures,  and 
smaller  schedules  should  result  in  better 
quality  in  the  run  of  releases. 

Forty  pictures  a year  is  still  too  many, 
though.  Probably  not  more  than  thirty 
features  of  any  merit  could  be  turned 
out  by  a single  studio.  Still,  as  I say, 
the  reduction  is  a good  sign. 

Some  To  Be  Made  Abroad 

A small  portion  of  these  pictures  will 
be  made  abroad,  in  England,  probably 
half  a dozen  by  each  firm.  Alarm  over 
Big-Bad-Wolf  Hitler  seems  to  have 
subsided,  and  production  chiefs  are  re- 
turning to  the  shores  from  which  there 
was  a summary  exodus  of  Holly  woodites 
a few  weeks  back.  The  reason  behind 
this  braving  of  the  bombs  is  to  make 
use  of  profits  which,  by  government  de- 
cree, cannot  now  be  taken  out  of  Eng- 
land. Produced  pictures  can  be. 

HEARING  THROUGH  THE  EYES 

HOSE  who  have  not  of  late  reflected 
on  the  force  of  the  silent  pictures, 
how  strongly  they  played  on  the  imag- 
ination, should  take  note  of  the  huge 
neon  sign  that  tops  the  Hollywood  Rec- 
reation Center,  on  Vine  Street  across 
from  the  N.B.C.  studios.  It  pictures  a 
bowling  ball  rolling  toward  a line-up 
of  pins.  The  ball  hits,  there  are  chaotic 
neon  flashes,  the  pins  fly  wildly.  Your 
imagination  does  the  rest:  it  makes  you 
hear  the  ball  hit — yes,  sir,  you  can  hear 
the  ball's  fierce,  crackling,  resounding 
impact  with  the  pins.  Watch  it,  some- 
time. 

Cleveland  Reader 
Gives  Some  Advice 

ONE  of  the  most  active  women  in  the 
potent  Cinema  Club  in  Cleveland . 
Ohio,  is  Bertelle  M.  Lytelle.  In  a let- 
ter to  me.  Mrs.  Lytelle  makes  some  dis- 
cerning remarks  it  would  profit  both 
producers  and  exhibitors  to  read.  The 
letter  follows. — \V.  B. 

You  and  the  other  reviewers  have 
given  us  enthusiastic  accounts  of  Land 
of  Liberty,  the  movie  history  of  our 
country  prepared  by  the  industry  for 
the  two  fairs,  and  now  to  be  available 
"for  every  school  in  the  country."  To 
me  it  seems  that  such  a picture  belongs 
in  the  community  show  rather  than  in 
the  regular  school:  it  is  a review  of  his- 
tory for  the  adult,  instead  of  a presen- 
tation of  the  subject  to  the  child  who 
cannot  understand  so  much  at  once,  or 
who  thinks  he  knows  it  all  because  he 
has  seen  such  a film  and  so  is  less  inter- 


ested in  studying  in  detail  the  various 
periods. 

However,  here  n Cleveland  it  is  im- 
possible to  show  ven  "free"  films  with- 
out an  overhead  cost  of  $35  to  $50, 
which  must  be  born  by  someone.  We 
of  the  Cinema  Club  believe  that  the 
present  limitation  that  many  films  may 
not  be  shown  where  an  admission  fee  is 
charged,  should  be  changed  to  "may 
not  be  shown  for  profit,"  thus  permit- 
ting a small  admission  designed  to  cover 
these  necessary  expenses. 

Suggestions  for  Exhibitors 

CJYou  say  you  have  a large  circulation 
among  exhibitors.  We  know  you  have 
among  the  producers.  Don't  you  think 
it  well  to  agitate  for  better  showman- 
ship on  the  part  of  the  theatres?  Isn’t 
it  time  the  old  principle  of  offering 
something  pleasant  and  something  dis- 
tasteful to  everyone  in  the  audience, 
with  a prayer  that  enough  of  the  pleas- 
ant comes  last  to  cause  forgetfulness  of 
the  unpleasant,  be  discarded  at  least  on 
a few  days  of  the  week,  and  particular- 
ly at  the  week-ends  when  our  young 
people  attend  in  droves  and  are  having 
formed  their  ideas  of  art,  harmony, 
beauty  as  well  as  morals? 

The  better  films  movement,  now 
powerfully  aided  by  the  study  of  movie 
art  in  the  schools,  is  undoubtedly  show- 
ing results  at  the  box-office:  otherwise 
how  would  any  exhibitor  dare  to  offer 
On  Borrowed  Time  and  Lost  Patrol 
on  the  same  Saturday-Sunday  program, 
and  expect  to  please  his  patrons?  We 
are  improving  the  demand  for  fine  pic- 
tures and  wholesome  ones,  but  our  peo- 
ple have  many  resources  and  are  not 
compelled  to  patronize  pictures  they  do 
not  desire  in  order  to  see  the  ones  that 
they  do.  How  about  justice  to  the  pic- 
tures themselves? 

Pleasing  Double  Bill 

CJ  Of  course  this  is  a plea  for  single  fea- 
ture programs,  but  a double  bill  that 
stands  out  as  a pleasing  memory  was 
Man  of  Aran  and  Unfinished  Sym- 
phony. It  might  be  possible  to  de- 
velop audiences  for  special  types  of  pic- 
tures for  special  nights  and  thus  have 
an  easy  placing  for  the  fine  art,  adult 
picture.  Again,  care  could  be  exercised 
to  make  each  program  harmonious  as  to 
the  major  feature,  and  then  advertise 
each  program  to  its  proper  audience. 
This  means  not  to  push  the  advertising 
of  They  Shall  Have  Music  among  the 
athletic  clubs  and  labor  unions,  nor  ex- 
pect the  women's  clubs  to  trust  the 
judgment  that  urges  them  to  attend 
either  Real  Glory  or  Each  Dawn  I Die. 
Also  the  advertising  of  the  unusual  pic- 
ture must  not  be  trusted  to  trailer  and 
the  regular  theatre  promotion.  The 
"unusual"  audience  never  hears  about 
the  picture  until  too  late. 

Another  point:  why  must  all  pic- 


ture shows  follow  the  same  pattern?  I 
cannot  recall  a time  when  we  had  such 
a large  and  varied  assortment  of  fine 
short  subjects  as  at  present.  The  best 
of  them  do  not  suit  the  double  feature 
scheme,  and  are  overshadowed  rm  a 
single  feature.  I am  thinking  primarily 
of  the  short  dramas  of  M-G-M  and 
Vitaphone,  secondly  of  the  fine  travel 
and  novelty  reels,  and  the  new  sym- 
phonic subjects  from  Paramount. 

Shorts  for  Saturdays 

<1  It  seems  practical  to  me  for  a cen- 
trally located  theatre  in  our  large  cities 
to  co-operate  with  the  distributors  in 
developing  a Saturday  audience  for  a 
two-hour  show  of  these  fine  shorts.  Ad- 
vertising should  be  a week  in  advance: 
one  frame  in  the  lobby  near  the  street 
carrying  the  coming  program  for  the 
information  of  all  passersby,  the  news- 
paper ad  of  the  theatre  carrying  the  line 
about  "short  subjects  on  Saturday"  just 
as  some  advertise  their  "owl  shows": 
then  a simple  printed  slip  carrying  the 
full  program  of  next  week's  show  to 
be  distributed  to  this  week’s  audience: 
these  slips  should  also  be  bulletined  or 
distributed  through  libraries  and  schools. 

I hese  films  are  largely  documentary, 
and  such  a program,  if  well  selected, 
should  be  a great  cultural  asset  to  any 
community.  Why  force  such  a program 
into  the  school  houses  and  thus  deprive 
it  of  the  advantages  of  the  theatre  show- 
ing, the  opportunity  of  reaching  its 
greatest  audience,  and  the  inspiration  for 
its  artists  of  a greater  recognition?  Why 
not  increase  the  use  of  these  subjects? 
Why  are  the  producers  making  them? 
Theatre  men  have  told  me  the  distribu- 
tors will  not  co-operate  in  any  such  ef- 
forts to  serve  the  public. 

Afraid  to  Experiment 

The  distributors  control  plenty  of 
suitable  houses  to  make  the  experiments 
themselves,  and  in  Cleveland,  at  least, 
they  are  more  accustomed  to  working 
with  the  Cinema  Club  and  the  Public 
Library  than  are  the  neighborhood  the- 
atres. 

The  industry  deplores  lost  markets 
and  lessening  box-office,  but  is  afraid  to 
try  experiments  to  have  the  maximum 
audiences  for  each  picture,  including  the 
short  subjects.  Fewer  pictures,  but  all 
good  of  their  kind,  and  much  better 
showmanship  in  program  making  and 
community  service,  is  my  suggestion  for 
alleviating  the  financial  difficulties  of 
the  box-office. 


★ Nick  Carter  is  to  sleuth  again.  Metro 
has  purchased  over  1,100  of  the  Nick 
Carter  stories,  the  entire  Street  13  Smith 
library  with  the  exception  of  twelve 
stories. 

A Wayne  Morris  has  been  signed  by 
Warner  Brothers  for  a fourth  year.  His 
new  release  is  Brother  Rat  and  a Baby. 


MARCH  1,  1940 


PAGE  FIFTEEN 


/ 


fad  We  foch  t Slam  you 

PARKING  INNS  A BOTHER 

Near  our  Hollywood  Boulevard  Shop 

(and  why  g,et  out  of  your  car  for  a 
Corsage  anyway?) 

We  are  solving  the  PARKING  PROBLEM 

for  both  of  us  by  building,  the  first 
of  its  kind  anywhere. 


NOW  BUILDING— Corner  Pico  Blvd.  & Beverly  Drive 

of  course  we  are  continuing,  to  serve 
our  customers  at  our  same  phone  GLadstone  4111 


20  CENTS 


SPECTATOR 


Twice  Monthly 


Edited  by  WELFORD  BEATON 


Fourteenth  Year 


Los  Angeles,  California — May  1,  1940 


Vol.  14— No.  26 


REVIEWED 
(Page  5) 


EDMUND  GOULDING 

His  brilliant  direction  of  "'Til  We  Meet  Again" 
certainly  entitles  him  to  an  even  broader  smile. 


Forty  Little  Mothers  ★ 'Til  We  Meet  Again  ~k  Johnny  Apollo 
Buck  Benny  Rides  Again  ★ Two  Girls  on  Broadway  ★ 1,000,000  B.  C. 

Dr.  Kildare's  Strange  Case  ★ Irene  ★ The  Saint  Takes  Over 
Grandpa  Goes  to  Town  ★ Tomboy 


'y/tcmL  ~tke 

D I TORS 


EflSV  CHAIR 


SPECTATOR  TO  HAVE  A BIRTHDAY 

ITH  its  next  issue  Hollywood  Spectator  will  enter 
its  fifteenth  year  of  effort  to  be  of  value  to  the 
motion  picture  industry  as  a business,  and  to  its  per- 
sonnel as  artists  working  in  a medium  which  requires 
for  its  continued  existence  large  financial  returns  on 
both  the  mental  and  material  investment  in  its  plants 
and  product.  During  its  fourteen  years  it  has  devoted 
millions  of  its  words  to  the  championship  of  screen 
art,  but  each  such  discussion  was  inspired  by  its  con- 
viction that  only  by  meeting  the  demands  of  the  art 
could  the  industry  achieve  the  greatest  possible  ma- 
terial prosperity. 

No  thought  expressed  by  the  Spectator  was  in- 
spired by  consideration  of  its  own  material  prosper- 
ity. As  an  advertising  medium  it  has  been  ignored 
by  those  whom  it  has  tried  most  to  serve — the  pro- 
ducers of  motion  picture  entertainment.  For  the 
revenue  essential  to  its  continued  existence  it  has 
been  compelled  to  beg  from  the  industry's  personnel, 
whom  also  it  has  strived  to  serve. 

O nee  more  it  appeals  for  the  essential  revenue.  It 
asks  those  who  approve  at  least  its  honesty,  if  not  the 
logic  of  its  opinions,  the  support  it  needs.  It  has  but 
one  thing  for  sale — advertising  space.  The  next  issue 
will  be  its  Fourteenth  Birthday  Number.  It  hopes  to 

have  your  advertisement  in  it. 

* * * 

IT  IS  WHAT  WE  AIMED  AT 

RITES  Ed  win  Schallert  in  reviewing  "Vigil  In  the 
Night":  ' The  quiet  tone  of  nearly  all  conversa- 
tions in  the  picture  gives  it  singular  power."  To  oet 
this  "singular  power"  in  all  pictures  has  been  the  rea- 
son for  the  Spectator's  constant  plea  for  conversa- 
tions on  the  screen  instead  of  bursts  of  oratory. 

* * * 

ACTING  AND  THE  FILM  BOX-OFFICE 
UOTING  Jimmie  Fidler  on  lwo  of  the  Lane  sisters, 
Rosemary  first:  "She  studies  the  principles  of  act- 
ing, delving  into  the  history  of  drama,  applies  herself 
like  a leech  to  her  music,  and  can  expound  by  the 
hour  on  the  technique  of  every  great  star  in  the  busi- 
ness. In  short,  Rosemary's  one  absorbing  interest  in 
life  is  professional  success.  . . . Priscilla,  on  the  other 
hand,  doesn't  seem  a bit  impressed  by  Hollywood's 
treasures.  She  takes  her  roles  as  they're  assigned, 
races  through  them  with  a minimum  of  effort  and  a 
maximum  of  fun,  and  makes  no  bones  about  her  will- 


ingness to  throw  it  all  overboard  if  the  whim  happens 
to  strike  her.  I think  she'd  cheerfully  turn  her  back 
on  pictures  tomorrow  if  she  decided  that  she  could 
have  a better  time  by  doing  so." 

Then  Jimmie  Gets  Inquisitive 

Jimmie  proceeds  to  ask  an  interesting  question: 
"In  view  of  the  fact  that  their  backgrounds,  personal 
charm  and  initial  screen  opportunities  were  approxi- 
mately the  same,  which  of  the  two  sisters  would  you 
expect  to  be  more  important  professionally?  Rose- 
mary, of  course.  Yet  the  reverse  is  true,  and  I doubt 
if  there  is  a producer  in  Hollywood  who  can  give  you 
the  exact  'why'." 

Jimmie's  doubt  is  well  founded.  If  Hollywood  had 
one  producer  who  could  give  the  "why,"  he  would  be 
the  only  one  who  never  would  be  bothered  with  a 
shortage  of  talent  for  his  leading  roles;  he  could  make 
new  stars  with  every  picture  he  made.  But  the  inter- 
esting question  about  the  two  Lane  sisters  is  easy  to 
answer.  Priscilla  is  the  greater  box-office  attraction 
by  virtue  of  her  complete  disregard  for  anyone's  con- 
ception of  rules  which  govern  screen  acting;  she  goes 
slap-bang  at  everything  given  her  to  do,  gets  oodles 
of  fun  out  of  doing  it,  gets  her  personality  on  the 
screen,  and  lets  her  audience  know  she  is  having  a fine 
time,  lets  it  get  acquainted  with  her,  puts  it  in  sym- 
pathy with  her  joys  and  sorrows.  She  gives  her  audi- 
ence what  she  feels. 

One  With  Emotions,  One  With  Head 

tfl  Rosemary  gives  her  audience  what  she  has  learned. 
She  has  schooled  her  emotions  to  be  expressed  by 
rule.  Priscilla  acts  with  her  emotions,  Rosemary  with 
her  head.  According  to  Jimmie,  Rosemary  has  delved 
into  the  history  of  drama,  and  the  deeper  she  delved 
the  greater  did  she  get  away  from  screen  require- 
ments, as  all  histories  of  drama  deal  with  its  expres- 
sion on  the  stage,  none  with  its  expression  on  the 
screen.  The  stage  projects  its  message  to  the  audi- 
ence; the  motion  picture  camera  enters  a scene,  re- 
cords the  message,  carries  it  to  the  audience.  I he 
only  thing  the  two  media  have  in  common  is  their  use 
of  players  as  their  tools. 

In  all  the  centuries  of  its  history  the  stage  never 
developed  a Shirley  Temple,  a child  who  for  years 
was  the  world's  greatest  box-office  player.  If  the  act- 
ing technique  which  distinguishes  the  stage  consti- 
tuted the  requirements  of  the  screen,  a seasoned 
stage  actor  would  head  the  film  box-office  list.  But 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR,  published  twice  monthly  at  Los  Angeles.  Calif.,  by  Hollywood  Spectator  Co..  6513  Hollywood  Blvd.;  phone  GLadstone  5213.  Subscription  price.  $5  the  year;  two 
years.  $8;  foreign,  $6.  Single  copies  20  cents.  Entered  as  Second  Class  matter,  February  21,  1940,  at  the  Post  Office  at  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  under  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3,  1879. 

PAGE  TWO  HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


wv_-v  1'ckey  Rooney  heads  it,  a youth  still  in  his 
+ee.  . ; great  stage  player,  one  with  years  of  train- 

ing rniuo  the  footlights,  ever  has  headed  it. 

PerSw..ciity  Versus  Serious  Student 

€f  I do  not  contend  there  is  no  place  on  the  screen 
for  purely  stage  performances,  for  a display  of  the 
technique  the  stage  teaches.  We  have  had  scores  of 
brilliant  performances  by  players  who  have  come 
from  Broadway  to  Hollywood,  performances  w hich 
have  dignified  the  screen  and  given  it  artistic  pres- 
tige; but  the  text  of  this  discourse  is  the  difference 
in  popular  appeal  between  a pleasing  personality 
(Priscilla)  and  a serious  student  of  dramatics  (Rose- 
mary) as  film  box-office  assets.  Making  motion  pic- 
tures is  a business  in  which  are  invested  billions  of 
dollars  throughout  the  world,  therefore  the  box-office 
always  must  be  the  matter  of  first  consideration. 

Almost  every  day  the  cinema  pages  in  the  news- 
papers tell  us  the  difficulty  this  producer  or  that  one 
is  having  in  finding  the  right  player  for  a part  in  a 
picture  he  is  casting.  If  from  the  first  producers  had 
looked  for  personalities  instead  of  for  skilled  players, 
if  they  had  not  been  stampeded  by  the  conviction 
that  the  screen  went  stage  when  it  went  talkie,  there 
would  be  available  today  a dozen  players  for  every 
leading  part  which  needed  filling. 

Spotting  Talent  Not  Hard  Job 

Cjf  Spotting  box-office  possibilities  is  not  difficult. 
Sometimes  I feel  I carry  to  excess  my  references  to 
the  Spectator's  record  in  spotting  prospective  box- 
office  personalities  long  before  any  producer  has 
given  them  opportunities  fully  to  display  their  wares. 
But  my  present  argument  calls  for  more  such  refer- 
ences. Two  recent  cases  of  the  accuracy  of  the  Spec- 
tator's guessing  are  those  of  Joan  Fontaine,  now  star- 
ring in  "Rebecca,"  which  is  doing  big  business  wher- 
ever shown,  in  some  cases  breaking  box-office  rec- 
ords; and  Anne  Shirley,  raised  to  stardom  in  "Satur- 
day's Children."  Of  Joan  I wrote  (Spectator,  June  5, 
1937):  "You  may  put  her  down  as  a young  person 
who  will  achieve  stardom  rapidly." 

Of  Anne  I wrote,  under  the  heading  "New  Star  Is 
Rising,"  a brief  paragraph  which  sums  up  my  theory 
of  screen  acting  (Spectator,  January  4,  1936):  "One 
can  see  Anne's  future  in  her  fine  eyes.  They  reveal 
her  possession  of  the  divine  spark  born  in  her,  but 
which  we  mistakenly  term  genius.  They  suggest  every- 
thing clean  and  sweet,  with  a hint  of  latent  fire  ready 
to  burst  into  flame  when  the  provocation  is  sufficient. 
The  only  obstacle  that  can  stay  her  march  into  the 
hearts  of  the  country  is  acting  technique.  The  less  she 
learns  of  acting,  the  greater  will  be  her  appeal.  What 
she  has  to  offer  her  audience  was  born  in  her  and 
cannot  be  learned  or  polished  in  a dramatic  school." 

Our  Guessing  Batting  Average 

<fl  Of  the  scores  named  by  the  Spectator  as  pros- 
pective box-office  material,  none  who  achieved  prom- 
inence has  failed  to  maintain  such  status  after  being 
raised  to  it.  Bette  Davis,  Jean  Arthur,  Myrna  Loy — 


to  mention  only  three  to  illustrate  my  point — were 
nominated  for  prominence  by  the  Spectator  when 
their  names  were  virtually  unknown  by  picture  patrons. 
And  now  the  reason  for  my  l-told-you-so's: 

If  someone  sitting  in  the  audience  can  spot  an  un- 
known person  on  the  screen  and  record  his  conviction 
that  such  person  has  everything  needed  to  achieve 
success  as  a leading  film  player,  why  does  it  take  pic- 
ture producers  so  long  to  become  convinced  of  the 
same  thing?  Why  complain  of  a shortage  in  prospec- 
tive star  material  when  in  almost  every  picture  one 
sees  there  can  be  spotted  at  least  one  youngster  who 
has  everything  it  takes?  If  I can  spot  a young  boy 
and  harass  a publicity  department  into  finding  out  the 
name  of  the  boy  who  stood  third  to  the  right  of  the 
star  in  a certain  scene,  why  did  not  the  producer  of 
the  picture  spot  the  boy  and  do  something  about  it? 
The  name,  I at  last  was  informed,  was  Mickey  Rooney. 

The  answer  to  the  questions  is  that  producers  are 
looking  for  Rosemarys,  not  for  Priscillas — are  obsessed 
by  the  notion  that  they  want  actors  and  actresses  to 
bring  the  stage  with  them  to  the  screen.  The  box- 
office  today  is  demonstrating  the  folly  of  it.  The  cure 
is  to  look  for  personalities,  for  Priscillas. 

* * * 

WERE  FAR  OFF  ON  THIS  ONE 

/IF  THE  box-office  prospects  of  "Rebecca"  I wrote 
^ as  follows  in  my  review  of  the  picture  (Spectator, 
April  I):  "A  purely  psychological  drama,  it  is  not  for 
the  casual  film  patron  in  search  of  light  entertainment; 
it  is  too  fine  a creation  to  break  box-office  records,  a 
fact  no  doubt  apparent  from  the  outset  to  Producer 
Selznick  and  regarded  by  him  complacently,  as 

'Gone  With  the  Wind'  is  attending  to  the  money 
end  of  his  business."  "Rebecca"  is  proving  a sensa- 
tional box-office  success  wherever  shown.  At  home  it 
established  a new  record  for  an  opening  week  at  the 
Four  Star;  in  New  York  it  ran  five  weeks  at  the 

Music  Hall;  in  Cleveland  it  gave  a theatre  its  first 

hold-over  in  six  years;  in  Chicago  it  followed  the  sec- 
ond week  of  "Young  Tom  Edison"  into  United  Artists 
Theatre,  "Edison"  having  done  $7,100,  and  "Rebec- 
ca" did  $23,000.  (Figures  by  Variety.)  Box-Office 
Digest  says  it  is  one  of  the  biggest  grossing  picture^ 
United  Artists  has  had  in  twenty  years. 

* * * 

SCREEN  TALENT  AND  SHAVING  CREAM 

HEN  the  passage  of  the  Neely  Bill  ends  block 
booking,  there  is  going  to  be  a revolution  in  pro- 
duction methods  which  will  jar  the  whole  film  world 
of  Hollywood.  For  one  thing,  only  a small  fraction  of 
the  talent  contracts  now  in  existence  will  be  renewed. 
With  their  market  being  made  uncertain  by  the  sale 
of  each  picture  after  completion  and  on  its  own  merits, 
instead  of  by  contract  before  it  is  made,  a practice 
the  Neely  Bill  will  outlaw,  producers  will  not  find  it 
profitable  to  carry  the  present  heavy  load  of  financial 
obligation  under  which  the  contract  system  puts  them. 
Players,  writers,  directors  then  will  become  custodians 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  THREE 


of  their  own  careers;  no  longer  will  their  welfare  be 
nourished  by  producers  who  must  build  up  the  names 
they  have  on  contracts. 

Under  the  new  order  of  things  the  player,  writer  or 
director  who  will  get  the  most  work  and  earn  the  most 
money  will  be  the  one  who  most  readily  comes  to  pro- 
ducer minds,  just  as  the  shaving  cream  you  buy  is  the 
one  which  most  readily  comes  to  your  mind  when  you 
want  some.  Fundamentally,  the  sale  of  talent  differs 
in  no  way  from  the  sale  of  shaving  cream.  Neither  can 
get  anywhere  without  advertising,  without  being  kept 
in  the  minds  of  its  prospective  customers. 

We  Give  Fatherly  Advice 

€|  In  asking  for  advertising  patronage  for  its  Four- 
teenth Birthday  Number,  which  will  be  the  issue  fol- 
lowing this  one,  the  Spectator  is  told  by  many  of  its 
talented  friends  that  if  they  advertised  in  it  they 
would  be  hounded  by  a dozen  other  film  publications. 
Of  course,  an  obvious  answer  to  that  would  be  to  tell 
each  of  the  hounders  to  come  around  when  it  was 
celebrating  its  fourteenth  birthday,  that  you  always 
patronize  Fourteenth  Birthday  Numbers.  But  the  in- 
spiration which  prompted  this  discussion  has  more 
general  application,  was  not  intended  as  affecting 
only  the  Spectator. 

Picture  people  should  advertise  if  they  expect  to 
continue  to  sell  their  wares.  Each  one  of  them  knows 
that  over  the  years  others  with  as  much  talent  as  he  or 
she  possesses  have  faded  into  oblivion  because  they 
were  not  talked  about,  because  they  did  nothing  to 
keep  their  names  in  the  minds  of  the  people  who 
could  employ  them.  Each  person  earning  good  money 
now  should  set  aside  a sum  of  money  to  be  expended 
during  the  year  in  advertising  in  papers  he  feels  would 
give  him  value  for  the  money  spent;  each  paper  on 
the  list  should  be  notified  that  at  a specified  time  it 
would  get  its  share  of  the  advertising  budget,  no 
more,  no  less,  provided  it  did  not  make  a nuisance  of 
itself  by  asking  that  the  time  be  advanced  or  its  share 
of  the  budget  be  increased. 

But  of  course  this  highly  commendable  system  can- 
not be  inaugurated  in  time  to  benefit  the  Spectator's 
Birthday  Number.  That  should  be  a special  dispensa- 
tion to  reward  it  for  the  fatherly  advice  it  offers 
above. 

* * * 

ONE  BOOK  YOU  REALLY  MUST  HAVE 
AfO  LIBRARY  in  the  office  or  home  of  anyone  con- 
' nected  with  the  motion  picture  industry  can  be 
considered  complete  unless  it  contains  the  Film  Daily 
Year  Book.  The  twenty-second  annual  volume,  I 125 
pages  in  handsome  white  and  gold  binding,  is  now 
available.  It  is  an  extraordinary  accomplishment  in 
the  way  of  compiling,  presenting  and  indexing  data 
on  pictures  and  their  people.  Who  wrote  the  story 
for  th  is  or  that  picture?  Who  played  in  it?  What 
other  pictures  have  the  players  to  their  individual 
credits?  What  pictures  were  produced  in  1923?  I 
could  go  on  and  on,  listing  thousands  of  guestions 


the  valuable  volume  answers.  In  compiling  and  pub- 
lishing it,  Jack  Alicoate,  whose  Film  Daily  since  1919 
has  been  a reliable  record  of  all  the  newsworthy  activ- 
ities of  the  film  industry,  gives  the  industry  a volume 
of  inestimable  value  to  it.  As  a completed  work  it 
reflects  the  highest  credit  on  its  staff  of  compilers 
who  worked  under  the  guidance  of  its  able  editor, 
Chester  Bahn.  In  case  I have  persuaded  you  that  you 
must  complete  your  library  by  finding  shelf  room  for 
this  indispensible  volume,  you  can  write  to  this  ad- 
dress: Film  Daily,  1501  Broadway,  New  York. 

* * * 

MENTAL  MEANDERINGS 

HEN  I look  into  a drawer  filled  with  socks  knitted 
for  me  by  Mrs.  Spectator,  I think  how  selfish  it  is 
for  me  to  have  so  many  when  Mahatma  Gandhi  ap- 
parently hasn't  any.  . . . Along  our  dirt  road  we  put 
out  receptacles  filled  with  exhausted  cans  which  a 
truck  comes  along  and  scoops  up.  This  is  can  day; 
our  box  is  on  the  parking  strip.  Lassie,  the  fat  old 
dog  who  brought  me  a pudding  dish  and  a gopher 
trap,  is  busy  taking  cans  from  the  box  and  spreading 
them  around  it.  Probably  looking  for  something  worth 
presenting  to  someone.  From  where  I am  sitting  I can 
see  her  around  the  end  of  the  hedge,  but  she  obvi: 
ously  is  having  such  a fine  time  I lack  the  heart  to  dis- 
turb her.  ...  I am  not  so  contented.  I envy  Lassie. 
The  sun  is  shining,  birds  are  singing,  flowers  are  bloom- 
ing, and  here  I sit,  rebelliously  trying  to  reach  the  bot- 
tom of  the  column  while  three  flats  of  young  flower 
plants  are  awaiting  transfer  to  beds,  the  newly  seeded 
side-lawn  needs  sprinkling,  the  Morning  Glories  need 
thinning,  the  Dahlia  bulbs  should  be  sorted,  and — but 
what's  the  use?  Ho,  hum!  Let's  get  on  with  it.  . . . 
Somewhere  southwest  of  us  a hen  has  just  laid  an 
egg;  I can  tell  by  the  cackle.  Sounds  carry  a long 
distance  in  our  guiet  Valley.  Somewhere  northeast 
of  us  lives  a man  with  the  loudest  sneeze  in  the  world, 
one  he  leads  up  to  with  a fusillade  of  minor  hi-hi-ho- 
hoes,  ending  in  a grand  explosion  which  prompts  me 
to  study  the  sky  in  his  direction  in  expectation  of  see- 
ing the  top  of  his  head  soaring  upward.  . . . Holly- 
wood Boulevard  marguee:  "I  Take  This  Woman — 

Dust  Be  My  Destiny."  . . . But  perhaps  someone  will 
give  her  a duster  as  a wedding  present.  . . . Writing 
out  of  doors  involves  both  mental  and  physical  exer- 
tion. One  has  to  think  and  also  to  shift  his  chair  to 
keep  in  the  shade  as  it  creeps  across  the  lawn.  Just 
shifted  into  the  shade  of  a pomegranate  tree.  The 
shade  is  nice,  but  pomegranates  are  annoyances,  just 
globular  masses  of  seeds  coated  with  flavor  you  can- 
not taste  unless  you  concentrate  mentally  on  it 

Do  you  know  what  that  longer  than  usual  row  of  dots 
signifies?  A nap.  It  is  hot  and  the  shade  edged  me 
near  enough  a garden  swing  to  permit  me  to  edge 
into  it  without  exertion;  my  purpose  was  to  think  up 
what  to  write  next.  But  I went  to  sleep  and  would 
have  been  asleep  yet  if  my  spaniel  had  not  found  me 
and  jumped  up  beside  me.  You  know  how  stupid  a 
sound  nap  leaves  you?  Well 


PAGE  FOUR 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


Wkai  JLate  OneJ  iook  iike 


Edmund  Goulding 
Scores  In  This  One 

'TIL  WE  MEET  AGAIN,  Warner  Brothers 

Executive  producer Hal  B.  Wallis 

Associate  producer David  Lewis 

Director  . ....  Edmund  Goulding 

Screen  play  Warren  Duff 

From  an  original  story  by  Robert  Lord 

Director  of  photography  Tony  Gaudio,  ASC 
Art  director  Robert  Haas 

Film  editor  Ralph  Dawson 

Sound  E.  A.  Brown 

Special  effects  by Byron  Haskin,  ASC 

Gowns  by  Orry-Kelly 

Orchestral  arrangements  by  Ray  Heindorf 

Musical  director Leo  F.  Forbstein 

Cast:  Merle  Oberon,  George  Brent,  Pat  O'Brien, 
Geraldine  Fitzgerald,  Binnie  Barnes,  Frank 
McHugh,  Eric  Blore,  Henry  O'Neill,  George 
Reeves,  Frank  Wilcox,  Doris  Lloyd,  Marjorie 
Gateson,  Regis  Toomey,  William  Halligan, 
Victor  Kilian,  Wade  Boteler.  Running  time, 
100  minutes. 

SUPERB  entertainment;  perfection  in 
every  detail.  In  essence  a sordid  story 
of  a girl,  condemned  to  death  by  a heart 
ailment,  sharing  a romance  with  a man 
condemned  to  death  for  murder,  it 
comes  to  us  as  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful love  stories  the  screen  ever  told,  a 
tender,  touching,  sympathetic  demon- 
stration of  the  screen’s  story  - telling 
power.  When  the  ingredients,  as  such, 
have  so  little  to  recommend  them  as 
popular  entertainment,  it  is  the  tech- 
nique displayed  in  their  compounding 
which  we  must  praise  for  the  brilliant 
results  achieved.  This  review,  I warn 
you,  is  to  be  but  a hymn  of  praise,  for 
never  in  the  fourteen  years  of  picture 
reviewing  is  there  another  picture  I can 
recall  as  being  less  provocative  of  ad- 
verse criticism. 

Hal  Wallis,  the  truly  great  producer 
who  heads  the  Warner  production 
forces,  was  wise  in  his  choice  of  those 
who  served  under  him  in  putting  One 
Way  Passage  into  new  clothes  and  pre- 
senting it  as  ’Til  We  Meet  Again.  The 
strongly  dramatic  original  story  was 
put  by  Warren  Duff  into  one  of  the 
most  brilliantly  written  screen  plays  we 
have  had  in  years,  one  as  noted  for 
what  it  does  not  say  as  for  what  it  says. 
For  instance,  we  are  not  told  whom  the 
man  in  the  romance  murdered  or  why 
he  murdered  him;  we  are  not  told  who 
the  girl  is,  what  her  background  is, 
where  her  home  is.  We  see  the  two  in 
Hong  Kong  meet  as  strangers;  they  are 
fellow  passengers  on  a ship,  and  we  ac- 
company them  to  a San  Francisco  dock, 
and  that  is  the  last  we  see  of  them.  We 
know  he  goes  to  the  gallows,  that  she 
has  but  a short  time  to  live. 

Expert  Cast  Assembled 
<1  It  takes  understanding  casting  and 
discerning  direction  to  transform  such 
drab  material  into  brilliant  entertain- 


ment. From  the  list  of  players  which 
Associate  Producer  David  Lewis  sub- 
mitted to  his  chief  and  to  the  director, 
Wallis  and  Edmund  Goulding  made 
wise  selections.  Certainly  ideal  casting 
in  the  leading  feminine  role  was  the 
engaging  and  talented  Merle  Oberon. 
Her  mere  presence  on  the  screen  always 
has  pleased  me;  here  she  gives  a perform- 
ace  which  raises  her  to  the  heights  as  a 
great  actress.  And  equally  ideal  casting 
in  the  role  opposite  her  was  the  choice 
of  George  Brent.  This  always  depend- 
able actor  gives  a sincere,  impressive 
performance  which  gets  its  dramatic 
power  from  its  lack  of  display  of  effort 
to  achieve  it. 

On  a par  with  the  characterizations 
of  the  two  stars  were  those  of  the  sup- 
porting players,  chief  of  whom  are  Pat 
O’Brien,  Geraldine  Fitzgerald,  Binnie 
Barnes,  Frank  McHugh,  Eric  Blore. 
They  weave  an  acting  pattern  with  no 
weak  spot  in  it.  I was  glad  to  see  Mc- 
Hugh in  a part  which  has  its  serious 
moments.  He  is  an  actor  whose  talents 
have  been  wasted  in  a series  of  half-wit 
parts.  There  are  many  others  who  help 
in  telling  the  story,  among  them  Henry 
O’Neill,  always  the  capable  artist;  the 
talented  Doris  Lloyd  whom  we  do  not 
see  often  enough;  the  gracious  Mar- 
jorie Gateson;  and  we  get  a brief 
glimpse  of  the  pleasing  personality  of 
Regis  Toomey,  another  neglected  play- 
er. 

Goulding's  Inspired  Direction 

<|  Even  though  the  tools  be  perfect  it 
takes  craftsmanship  to  achieve  perfec- 
tion with  them.  Edmund  Goulding  was 
given  everything  to  work  with  in  the 
way  of  screen  play,  cast  and  produc- 
tion; they  were  the  tools  which  made 
perfection  possible,  but  it  was  his  skill 
as  a director  which  made  it  a fact.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  brilliantly  directed 
pictures  of  all  time.  The  ship  on  which 
the  story  is  told  has  a large  passenger 
list  on  its  eastward  voyage  across  the 
Pacific.  With  masterly  regard  for  back- 
ground action,  Goulding  keeps  the  ship 
alive,  never  lets  us  forget  its  busyness; 
when  a scene  is  shot  in  a cabin  and  a 
door  leading  to  the  deck  is  opened,  we 
see  strolling  passengers,  ship’s  officers, 
cabin  stewards  carrying  trays,  and  oth- 
er routines  of  life  aboard  ship. 

But  it  is  the  naturalness  developed 
in  the  characterizations  which  is  the 
director’s  greatest  achievement,  the  one 
most  responsible  for  the  appeal  of  the 
picture.  There  is  no  acting  in  it,  no 
striving  for  effect — just  a group  of  peo- 
ple living  a chapter  in  their  lives,  un- 
aware of  our  prying  eyes  and  listening 
ears.  Duff’s  good  writing  provides  for 
our  picking  them  up  in  their  stride,  the 
story  opening  abruptly  and  without 
any  explanatory  preamble.  Just  as 


abruptly  it  ends,  and  right  up  to  the 
last  few  hundred  feet  of  film  you  still 
are  wondering  how  it  will  end,  still 
hoping  the  murderer  will  escape,  marry 
the  girl  and  live  happily  ever  after.  But 
when  the  different  end  comes  you  agree 
it  is  the  only  logical  one;  you  agree  also 
that  you  have  seen  a really  great  picture. 

Anatole  Litvak  Sits  In 

CJ  During  the  shooting  Director  Gould- 
ing became  ill  and  Anatole  Litvak  took 
command  during  Goulding's  absence. 
The  greatest  tribute  which  can  be  paid 
to  Litvak’s  contribution  to  the  picture 
is  the  absence  of  evidence  of  it.  The 
mood  established  by  Goulding  is  sus- 
tained throughout  and  without  suggest- 
ing the  influence  of  another  director’s 
presence. 

The  physical  attributes  of  the  pro- 
duction match  the  worthiness  of  the 
spiritual  and  human  elements.  The  art 
direction  of  Robert  Haas  provided  Tony 
Gaudio  with  opportunities  to  gather 
with  his  camera  many  shots  of  pictorial 
value  to  add  to  the  fine  portraiture 
which  always  distinguishes  his  photog- 
raphy. A goodly  proportion  of  the 
visual  attractiveness  of  the  picture  can 
be  credited  to  the  gowns  designed  by 
Orry-Kelly.  Film  editing  by  Ralph 
Dawson,  special  effects  by  Byron  Has- 
kin, and  sound  recording  by  E.  A. 
Brown  are  other  assets  of  the  produc- 
tion. 

A demonstration  of  talkie  technique 
at  the  peak  of  its  perfection.  Above  the 
appreciation  of  children  but  a picture 
for  everyone  else.  Dialogue  direction 
notable.  Perhaps  too  fine  for  small- 
town audiences,  but  certainly  a joy  to 
all  others.  A sure  cure  for  box-office 
worries. 

Nice  Little  Dance 
And  Musical  Film 

TWO  GIRLS  ON  BROADWAY,  MGM 
Producer  Jack  Cummings 

Director  S.  Sylvan  Simon 

Screen  play  Joseph  Fields,  Jerome  Chodorov 
Based  on  a story  by  Edmund  Goulding 

Musical  presentation  Merrill  Pye 

Musical  director  . Georgie  Stoll 

Musical  arrangements  Walter  Ruick 

Dance  directors:  Bobby  Connolly,  Eddie  Lar- 
kin. 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Wardrobe  by  Dolly  Tree 

Director  of  photography  George  Folsey,  ASC 

Film  editor Blanche  Sewell 

Cast:  Lana  Turner,  Joan  Blondell,  George 

Murphy,  Kent  Taylor,  Richard  Lane,  Wallace 
Ford,  Otto  Hahn,  Lloyd  Corrigan,  Don  Wilson, 
Charles  Wagonheim.  Running  time,  70  min- 
utes. 

MEMORY  of  Broadway  Melody 
taken  out  of  yesterday,  dolled  up 
with  attire  of  today,  made  into  a 1 it  - 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  FIVE 


tie  picture  which  will  please  you  in  a 
mild  sort  of  way,  but  will  not  excite 
you.  Come  to  think  of  it,  the  fact  that 
it  is  not  as  big  and  glittering  as  its 
grandmother  is  perhaps  its  chief  rec- 
ommendation. It  is  a dance-musical 
film  in  capsule  form,  which  makes  it 
easy  to  take.  An  unusual  feature  of  it 
is  the  abruptness  of  its  ending.  It  stops 
when  you  think  it  is  going  good,  and 
it  takes  you  a moment  to  realize  that, 
after  all,  there  is  nothing  more  to  be 
said  that  you  cannot  imagine  to  please 
yourself. 

What  the  story  lacks  in  originality 
is  compensated  for  by  the  high  degree 
of  entertainment  value  put  into  it  by 
the  direction  of  Sylvan  Simon.  He  keeps 
it  moving,  gets  good  performances  from 
his  players  without  stressing  points, 
and  by  presenting  them  as  a batch  of 
ordinary  humans  for  whom  he  enlists 
our  interest  and  maintains  it  through- 
out. The  beautiful,  but  by  no  means 
dumb,  Lana  Turner,  the  capable  Joan 
Blondell,  and  the  graceful  and  gracious 
George  Murphy  head  the  abbreviated 
cast,  Kent  Taylor,  Richard  Lane  and 
Wallace  Ford  being  the  only  others  who 
figure  prominently  in  the  story. 

Is  Visually  Attractive 

<J  A dance  sequence  in  which  Lana  and 
Murphy  hold  the  center  of  the  stage,  is 
the  visual  masterpiece  of  the  produc- 
tion, the  setting  being  another  of  Cedric 
Gibbons's  pictorial  triumphs.  Ten  are 
listed  as  those  responsible  for  the  mu- 
sical content  of  the  picture,  and  each 
is  to  be  commended  for  his  contribution 
to  the  agreeableness  of  the  picture.  And 
Jack  Cummings,  producer,  can  take  a 
bow  for  his  satisfactory  guidance  of  the 
whole  from  script  to  screen. 

The  playboy  indiscretions  of  the 
character  played  by  Kent  Taylor  may 
be  challenged  on  the  score  of  their  be- 
ing somewhat  too  crude  when  the  ob- 
ject of  his  latest  fancy  is  such  a gentle, 
innocent  and  appealing  girl  as  young 
Tana  T urner,  but  no  other  charge  can 
be  brought  against  the  picture  for  lack 
of  good  taste.  It  should  give  satisfac- 
tion to  both  young  and  old. 


E yes  Examined  AND  Glasses  Fitted 


DEVER  D.  GRAY,  OPT.  D. 

...OPTOMETRIST... 


1725  North  Highland  Avenue 
Hollywood,  California 
HEmpstead  8438 


Buck  Benny's  Best 
Box-Office  Booster 

BUCK  BENNY  RIDES  AGAIN,  Paramount 
Producer-director  Mark  Sandrich 

Screen  play  William  Morrow.  Edmund  Beloin 
Based  on  an  adaptation  by  Zion  Myers 

Of  a story  by  Arthur  Stringer 

Musical  direction  — for  production:  Charles 

Henderson. 

Incidental  music  Victor  Young 

Songs:  Lyrics  by  Frank  Loesser;  music  by 

Jimmy  McHugh. 

Indian  adagio  and  acrobatic  routines  by: 

Merriel  Abbott  Dancers. 

Other  dance  numbers  staged  by  LeRoy  Prinz 
Director  of  photography  Charles  Lang,  ASC 
Art  directors  Hans  Dreier,  Roland  Anderson 
Editor  LeRoy  Stone 

Second  unit  director  Ben  Holmes 

Cast:  Jack  Benny,  Ellen  Drew,  Eddie  Ander- 
son, Andy  Devine,  Phil  Harris,  Dennis  Day, 
Virginia  Dale,  Lillian  Cornell,  Theresa  Harris, 
Kay  Linaker,  Ward  Bond,  Morris  Ankrum, 
Charles  Lane,  James  Burke.  Running  time, 
82  minutes. 

THE  best  Jack  Benny  picture  we  Pave 
I had.  Mark  Sandrich,  a director  with 
a long  series  of  successful  pictures  to  his 
credit,  makes  his  bow  as  a producer- 
director  with  Buck  Benny  Rides  Again. 
and  in  both  capacities  acquits  himself 
brilliantly.  He  has  given  us  much  which 
is  beautiful  to  look  at,  much  which  is 
entertaining  to  listen  to,  much  which  is 
amusing  to  laugh  at,  and  that  strikes 
me  as  being  a complete  prescription  for 
a satisfactory  screen  offering.  Nature 
and  Art  Directors  Hans  Dreier  and  Ro- 
land Anderson  provided  backgrounds  of 
great  pictorial  beauty  against  which  the 
lively  and  amusing  story  is  told  briskly 
under  Sandrich’s  direction.  Mark’s 
sense  of  humor  is  reflected  in  every  se- 
quence. Charles  Lang’s  photography  is 
another  big  asset:  LeRoy  Stone’s  expert 
film  editing  another. 

An  unusual  feature  of  the  production 
is  the  fact  that  Jack  Benny,  Rochester, 
Andy  Devine,  Phil  Harris  and  Dennis 
Day  play  themselves,  which  makes  it 
practically  a visual  presentation  of  a 
Benny  broadcast.  And  when  people 
play  themselves  the  performances  must 
be  perfect.  No  one,  for  instance,  can 
argue  that  someone  else  can  play  Benny 
better  than  Jack  can  or  that  his  per- 
formance lacks  the  Benny  touch. 

Built  Only  to  Amuse 

€J  The  screen  play  by  William  Morrow 
and  Edmund  Beloin,  based  on  Zion 
Myers’s  adaptation  of  an  Arthur  String- 
er story,  is  built  solely  to  provoke 
laughter.  A commendable  feature  of  it 
is  the  absence  of  gags  dragged  in  by  the 
heels  at  the  expense  of  the  continuity  of 
our  interest  in  the  story  as  it  progresses. 
It  is  an  exceedingly  clever  screen  play 
which  keeps  the  various  characterizations 
nicely  balanced.  Benny  is  presented  as 
the  rather  harassed  victim  of  an  amus- 
ing chain  of  circumstances  which  end 


in  a satisfactory  manner  when  he  finally 
gets  the  girl  as  the  picture  fades  out. 

Eddie  Anderson  (Rochester)  again 
just  about  steals  the  show.  His  per- 
formance is  notable  for  the  manner  in 
which  it  reveals  his  intelligent  grasp  of 
all  its  comedy  values.  And  that  his  feet 
are  as  nimble  as  his  brain  is  revealed  in 
his  dance  numbers,  in  one  of  them  team- 
ed with  Theresa  Harris,  an  attractive 
colored  girl  who  scores  as  an  actress, 
singer  and  dancer.  She  is  so  clever  in 
all  three  I would  not  be  surprised  to 
learn  she  also  is  a good  cook.  Three 
capable  and  charming  girls  are  Ellen 
Drew  (who  shares  the  romance  with 
Benny),  Virginia  Dale  and  Lillian  Cor- 
nell. Their  singing  is  one  of  the  nice 
features  of  the  picture.  Dennis  Day 
contributes  one  song  in  a manner  to 
make  you  sorry  he  does  not  sing  an- 
other. And  Carmichael,  the  bear,  must 
be  included  in  the  list  of  good  per- 
formers. 

This  Girl  Can  Make  Good 

CJ  Music,  of  course,  is  a big  feature  of 
the  production.  It  is  contributed  by 
Charles  Elenderson  and  Victor  Young, 
and  Frank  Loesser  and  Jimmy  McHugh 
(songs) . One  of  the  outstanding  song 
numbers  is  Drums  In  the  Night,  sung 
by  Lillian  Cornell.  I wish  some  pro- 
ducer would  give  her  an  opportunity  to 
make  good  this  prediction:  She  can  be 
developed  into  an  outstanding  screen 
star.  If  she  gets  her  chance,  you  will 
see  this  prediction  repeated  in  a year  or 
two  under  an  “I  Told  You  So”  head- 
ing. 

Indian  adagio  and  acrobatic  dance 
routines  by  the  Merriel  Abbott  Dancers 
are  spectacularly  beautiful  contributions 
to  the  production's  commendable  fea- 
tures. 

For  men.  women  and  children;  clean, 
gay.  colorful.  Delightfully  entertaining 
throughout.  Surefire  box-office  attrac- 
tion. 


Another  Good  One 
In  A ildare  Series 

DR.  KILDARE'S  STRANGE  CASE.  MGM 
Director  Harold  S.  Bucquet 

Screen  play  Harry  Ruskin,  Willis  Goldbeck 
Based  on  an  original  story  by:  Max  Brand, 
Willis  Goldbeck. 

Musical  score  David  Snell 

Recording  director  Douglas  Shearer 

Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Director  of  photography  John  Seitz,  ASC 

Film  editor  Gene  Ruggiero 

Cast:  Lew  Ayres,  Lionel  Barrymore,  Laraine 
Day,  Shepperd  Strudwick,  Samuel  S.  Hinds, 
Emma  Dunn,  Nat  Pendleton,  Walter  Kings- 
ford,  Alma  Kruger,  John  Aldredge,  Nell  Craig, 
Marie  Blake,  Charles  Waldron,  George  Les- 
sey,  Tom  Collins,  George  H.  Reed,  Paul  Por- 
casi,  Horace  MacMahon,  Frank  Orth,  Mar- 
garet Seddon,  Fay  Helm.  Running  time,  7G 
minutes. 

£XCELLENT  entertainment,  distin- 
guished for  writing,  direction  and 
acting.  The  series  is  a striking  ill ustra- 


PAGE  SIX 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


tion  of  the  box-office  value  of  contin- 
uity of  interest  in  the  same  group  of 
characters.  Strange  Case  is  my  selection 
as  the  best  of  the  lot  so  far:  you  may 
fancy  a previous  one,  but  I doubt  it. 
Each  in  the  series  is  a truly  human  doc- 
ument which  entertains  while  it  digni- 
fies the  practice  of  medicine.  Through 
all  of  them  runs  a sense  of  humor  which 
in  no  way  impedes  the  forward  prog- 
ress of  the  serious  aspects  of  the  stories, 
the  dramatic  passages  and  the  romantic 
interludes. 

The  original  story  by  Max  Brand 
and  Willis  Goldbeck  was  made  into  a 
smoothly  running  screen  play  by  Harry 
Ruskin  and  Goldbeck.  Harold  Bucquet 
put  into  it  the  same  vigor  and  sparkle, 
understanding  and  sympathy  that  have 
distinguished  his  direction  of  the  whole 
series.  David  Snell  (musical  score), 
John  Seitz  (photography),  Gene  Rug- 
giero (film  editing)  also  rendered  valu- 
able services. 

Nothing  Left  to  Say 

•I  The  continuation  of  the  series  makes 
it  difficult  to  write  an  original  review 
which  will  do  full  justice  to  the  merits 
of  each  of  them.  Several  times  already 
I have  said  about  all  there  is  to  say 
about  the  newest  one.  The  understand- 
ing interpretation  of  his  role  by  Lew 
Ayres:  the  brilliance  of  a Lionel  Barry- 
more performance:  the  cleverness  and 
appealing  beauty  of  Laraine  Day:  the 
agreeable  presence  of  Emma  Dunn,  Sam 
Hinds,  Nat  Pendleton,  Walter  Kings- 
ford,  Alma  Kruger,  Marie  Blake,  Charles 
Waldron  and  all  the  rest  of  them — 
what  can  one  say  of  them  that  already 
has  not  been  said  several  times? 

A newcomer — unless  my  memory  is 
faulty — is  Shepperd  Strudwick,  a pol- 
ished actor  with  an  agreeable  person- 
ality. John  Eldredge,  for  a long  time 
a favorite  of  mine,  appears  in  a few  se- 
quences and  does  excellent  work  in  a 
part  around  which  the  plot  mainly  re- 
volves. Lor  five  years  a mental  case,  he 
is  given  an  insulin  shock  by  daring 
young  Kildare  without  authorization 
of  the  head  of  the  hospital.  It  is  the 
dramatic  high  spot  of  the  picture,  ably 
built  to  and  having  a stirring  climax. 

This  series  too  well  established  to 
need  much  comment.  All  of  them  are 
clean,  informative,  entertaining.  Exhi- 
bitors will  find  this  one  another  winner. 


If  You  Enjoy 

Good  Southern  Home  Cooked  Food 

Try  the 

CANTERBURY  COFFEE  SHOP 

1746  North  Cherokee 
. . . NOW  OPEN  TO  THE  PUBLIC  . . . 

Breakfast  . . Luncheon  . . Dinner 
AT  POPULAR  PRICES 


Roach  Goes  Back  To 
Beginning  of  Things 

ONE  MILLION  B.  C..  Hal  Roach 

Directors  Hal  Roach,  Hal  Roach,  Jr. 

Assistant  director  Barnard  Carr 

Original  screen  play:  Mickell  Novak,  George 

Baker,  Joseph  Frickert. 

Descriptive  narration  Grover  Jones 

Narrator Conrad  Nagel 

Director  of  photography  Norbert  Brodine,  ASC 
Photographic  effects  by:  Roy  Seawright;  edit- 
ed by  Ray  Snyder. 

Art  director  Charles  D.  Hall 

Associate  art  director  Nicolai  Remisoff 

Set  decorator  W.  L.  Stevens 

Sound  recorder William  Randall 

Wardrobe  supervisor  Harry  Black 

Musical  score Werner  R.  Heymann 

Orchestra  conductor Irving  Talbot 

Cast:  Victor  Mature,  Carole  Landis,  Lon 

Chaney,  Jr.,  Mamo  Clark,  Nigel  De  Brulier, 
Mary  Gale  Fisher,  Edgar  Edwards.  Inez  Pa- 
lange. 

AL  ROACH  better  be  careful!  A 
member  of  good  standing  of  the 
Motion  Picture  Producers'  Association, 
he  actually  has  produced  a motion  pic- 
ture. And  that  is  not  being  done,  not 
since  the  screen  learned  how  to  talk. 
Of  course,  it  is  possible  that  Hal  dis- 
agrees with  all  his  fellow  members  and 
remembers  when  it  was  pleasant  for  us 
to  lean  back  in  a picture  house  and 
watch  things  happening  on  the  screen, 
without  our  having  to  listen  attentively 
to  ceaseless  chatter  to  keep  us  abreast  of 
what  was  going  on.  Anyway,  what- 
ever the  impulse  which  stirred  him,  Hal 
has  given  us  the  only  almost  hundred 
per  cent  true  motion  picture  we  have 
had  in  a decade,  one  which  tells  ninety- 
five  per  cent  of  its  story  with  the  camera. 

And,  believe  me,  1 ,000,000  B.  C.  is 
something  to  look  at.  Huge  prehistoric, 
mammoth  beasts  and  reptiles,  an  awe- 
inspiring volcanic  eruption,  a moun- 
tain-toppling earthquake  are  numbers 
on  the  pictorial  program.  The  produc- 
er is  careful  to  tell  us  in  the  picture’s 
first  sequence,  through  the  medium  of 
Conrad  Nagel  as  a scientist,  that  what 
we  are  about  to  see  is  Conrad’s  own  in- 
terpretation of  ancient  hieroglyphics 
found  scratched  on  the  wads  of  a cave. 

Has  Social  Significance 

4J  As  a demonstration  of  technical  cine- 
matic possibilities,  the  production  is 
astonishing.  Interwoven  with  its  phy- 
sical aspects  is  a coherent  story  of  social 
significance  in  that  it  shows  one  tribe 
of  uncouth  savages  coming  under  the 
influence  of  another  tribe  which  dis- 
plays a consciousness  of  social  graces, 
the  chief  manifestation  being  its  habit 
of  eating  like  human  beings  instead  of 
like  beasts.  The  more  savage  tribe  also 
learns  something  from  the  other  in  the 
way  of  politeness  in  the  treatment  of 
women. 

The  haggard  roughness  of  Lire  Val- 
ley, Nevada,  serves  as  a background  for 


the  action  and  emphasizes  visually  the 
aptness  of  the  picture's  title.  The  direc- 
tion, too,  matches  both  story  and  set- 
ting, the  movement  of  characters,  their 
mannerisms  and  methods  of  communi- 
cation giving  an  air  of  authenticity  to 
the  whole.  It  was  a brave  undertaking 
on  the  part  of  Producer  Roach  to  give 
us  something  so  radically  different  from 
what  we  are  used  to,  but  he  comes 
through  with  flying  colors,  being  as- 
sisted in  directing  by  his  son,  Hal,  Jr., 
and  having  the  services  of  a staff  of 
most  capable  technicians.  Scan  the  list 
of  credits  given  above  and  put  a good 
mark  opposite  each  name.  And  for  a 
masterly  screen  play,  underscore  the 
names  of  Mickell  Novak,  George  Baker 
and  Joseph  Lrickert. 

Possibly  a little  strong  for  children, 
but  one  no  others  should  miss.  Artis- 
tically a plea  for  more  purely  visual  film 
entertainment . and  as  such  a valuable 
lesson  for  all  students  of  the  screen.  Of 
educational  interest  in  that  it  records 
one  theory  of  the  birth  of  civilization. 
No  exhibitor  need  apologize  for  having 
booked  it  even  though  it  lacks  star 
names. 


Drab,  Depressing 
Blit  Is  IV ?//  Done 

JOHNNY  APOLLO,  Twentieth  Century-Fox 

Director  Henry  Hathaway 

Associate  producer  Harry  Joe  Brown 

Screen  play  Philip  Dunne,  Rowland  Brown 
Original  story  Samuel  G.  Engel,  Hal  Long 
Music  and  lyrics:  Lionel  Newman,  Frank 

Loesser,  Mack  Gordon. 

Director  of  photography  Arthur  Miller,  ASC 
Art  directors  Richard  Day,  Wiard  B.  Ihnen 
Set  decorator  Thomas  Little 

Film  editor  Robert  Bischoff 

Musical  director  Cyril  J.  Mockridge 

Cast:  Tyrone  Power,  Dorothy  Lamour,  Ed- 

ward Arnold,  Lloyd  Nolan,  Charley  Grape- 
win,  Lionel  Atwill,  Marc  Lawrence,  Jonathan 
Hale,  Harry  Rosenthal,  Russell  Hicks,  Fuzzy 
Knight,  Charles  Lane,  Selmar  Jackson,  Charles 
Trowbridge,  John  Hamilton,  William  Pawley, 
Eric  Wilton,  Gary  Breckner,  Harry  Tyler, 
George  Irving,  Eddie  Marr,  Anthony  Caruso, 
Stanley  Andrews,  Wally  Albright.  Running 
time,  90  minutes. 

LL  right  for  those  who  can  enjoy 
good  performances  purely  as  such, 
who  can  appreciate  good  direction  for 
its  own  sake,  and  the  manner  in  which 
the  story  is  told  without  caring  what  it 
tells.  Others  who  patronize  pictures  to 
see  and  hear  stories  being  told — and 
they  constitute  the  big  majority  of  those 
whose  money  keeps  the  film  industry  in 
funds  — will  find  Johnny  Apollo  a 
rather  sordid  bit  of  screen  entertain- 
ment. Edward  Arnold,  millionaire, 
plays  the  father  of  Tyrone  Power,  col- 
legian and  athlete  when  we  first  see 
him.  As  the  story  opens,  Arnold  is  in- 
dicted for  embezzlement,  tried,  sent  to 
the  penitentiary:  Power,  discouraged  by 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  SEVEN 


failure  to  land  a job  because  of  his 
father's  reputation,  changes  his  name  to 
Johnny  Apollo,  becomes  a crook;  the 
law  catches  up  with  him  and  he,  too. 
lands  in  the  penitentiary. 

Evil  is  all  right  as  a screen  story  ele- 
ment, but  only  if  it  points  a moral.  If 
this  one  does  that,  it  escaped  me.  I 
will  confess  the  story  failed  to  hold  my 
close  interest  and  I may  have  missed 
any  uplifting  message  if  it  contained 
one.  However,  it  is  the  story’s  mission 
to  create  and  hold  audience  interest,  and 
as  far  as  I was  concerned,  this  one  failed 
to  do  so,  consequently  I have  no  apolo- 
gies to  make  for  my  lack  of  close  at- 
tention. 

Stops  to  Take  Songs  Aboard 

<]|  Crook  dramas  depend  chiefly  for  their 
entertainment  quality  on  the  briskness 
of  their  forward  movement,  on  a rapid 
succession  of  vigorous  scenes.  This  story 
stops  three  times  to  provide  Dorothy 
Lamour  with  opportunities  to  sing. 
She  sings  well,  but  should  have  done  it 
in  some  other  picture.  Also  she  acts  her 
part  in  a convincing  manner.  The  oth- 
ers in  the  cast  also  maintain  a high  act- 
ing standard.  Edward  Arnold  is  par- 
ticularly impressive,  giving  us  one  of 
the  most  thoughtful  and  compelling 
performances  of  his  screen  career.  Ty 
Power  also  gives  excellent  account  of 
himself,  as  do  Lloyd  Nolan  and  Char- 
ley Grapewin.  Many  others  appear  in 
the  film  in  smaller  parts  and  each  of 
them  proves  capable. 

The  picture  is  produced  on  a com- 
prehensive and  visually  impressive  scale. 
Henry  Hathaway’s  direction  is  perfect, 
realizing  fully  all  the  dramatic  quali- 
ties in  the  screen  play  by  Philip  Dunne 
and  Rowland  Brown.  The  story  is  an 
original  by  Samuel  Engel  and  Hal  Long. 
While  you  may  quarrel  with  it  as  I do 
because  of  its  drabness,  you  will  find  no 
fault  with  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
presented.  Art  direction,  photography, 
film  editing  and  all  other  technical  at- 
tributes were  in  thoroughly  competent 
hands. 

Undiluted  crime  is  not  fare  for  chil- 
dren. even  though  no  fault  can  be  found 
with  the  story  on  the  score  of  its  lack 
of  good  taste  in  the  telling.  Star  names 
and  imposing  production  should  give  it 
box-office  value  and  possibly  only  more 
critical  audiences  will  find  fault  with  it. 

Do  You  Like — 

GOOD  FOOD— GOOD  BEDS— AND 
ALL  THE  COMFORTS  OF  HOME? 

Then  Stop  at  the — 

SANTA  MARIA  INN 

Santa  Maria,  Calif. 

174  miles  from  Los  Angeles — 271  miles 
from  San  Francisco — On  Highway  101 


Just  A Baby,  But 
He  Steals  the  Show 

FORTY  LITTLE  MOTHERS,  MGM 
Director  Busby  Berkeley 

Producer  Harry  Rapf 

Screen  play  Dorothy  Yost,  Ernest  Pagano 
Art  director  Cedric  Gibbons 

Associate  art  director  Daniel  B.  Cathcart 

Wardrobe  Dolly  Tree 

Director  of  photography  Charles  Lawton,  ASC 
Film  editor  Ben  Lewis 

Lyrics  Charles  Tobias 

Music  Nat  Simon 

Musical  direction  Georgie  Stoll 

Musical  arrangements  Roger  Edens 

Orchestration  George  Bassman,  Wally  Heglin 
Cast:  Eddie  Cantor,  Judith  Anderson,  Rita 

Johnson,  Bonita  Granville,  Ralph  Morgan,  Di- 
ana Lewis,  Nydia  Westman,  Margaret  Early, 
Martha  O'Driscoll,  Charlotte  Munier,  Louise 
Seidel.  Baby  Quintanilla.  Runnting  time,  87 
minutes. 

OUR  nomination  for  the  Academy 
Award  for  the  best  performance  by 
an  actor  during  1940:  Baby  Quintan- 
illa. The  Mickey  Rooneys,  Spencer 
Tracys,  Paul  Munis  might  just  as  well 
cease  dreaming,  even  though  there  is  so 
much  of  the  year  still  to  run.  The 
whole  secret  of  screen  acting  is  revealed 
in  the  performance  of  this  eight-months- 
old  youngster:  feeling  the  part  and  let- 
ting the  camera  do  the  work.  It  must 
have  required  persistence  and  diligence 
to  catch  all  the  fleeting  expressions  of 
the  fascinating  baby  which  are  scatter- 
ed through  the  length  of  film,  each 
one  adding  story  value  to  the  scene  in 
which  it  appears.  The  baby  shots  get 
their  value  from  the  impression  they 
give  you  that  Quintanilla,  when  each 
was  made,  was  thinking  only  of  the 
business  in  hand. 

Forty  Little  Mothers  is  precisely  the 
kind  of  picture  the  world  needs  now, 
one  as  far  away  in  mood  from  the  de- 
pressing international  occurrences  as  it 
is  possible  to  get.  It  is  a healthy,  clean, 
joyous  picture,  with  the  performance 
by  the  baby  to  attone  for  whatever 
weaknesses  it  reveals.  Eddie  Cantor,  a 
bachelor  looking  for  a job,  finds  him- 
self in  possession  of  the  baby  by  virtue 
of  circumstances  over  which  he  has  no 
control,  and  thereafter  plays  the  foster- 
father  role  with  feeling  and  sympathy 
which  make  his  performance  perhaps 
the  most  ingratiating  of  his  career. 

Worth  Price  of  Admission 

<fl  Cantor  lands  a job  as  professor  in  a 
fashionable  girl’s  school  into  which  he 
smuggles  the  baby.  The  animosity  with 
which  he  is  greeted  by  the  students  and 
their  efforts  to  drive  him  from  the 
school  are  somewhat  overdone  and 
make  the  story  drag.  But  when  the 
girls  discover  the  baby,  things  buck  up, 
and  when  you  leave  the  theatre  you 
will  be  content  that  you  have  had  your 
full  money’s  worth. 

While  none  of  the  other  perform- 
ances in  any  way  dims  the  luster  of  the 


baby's,  no  fault  can  be  tout  d with 
them  on  the  score  of  lack  ot  me::.  The 
more  prominent  roles  are  n.  the  Cipable 
hands  of  Judith  Anderson,  .Rita  John- 
son, Bonita  Granville,  Ralph  Morgan, 
Diana  Lewis  and  Nydia  Westman. 
Harry  Rapf  provided  a handsome  pro- 
duction for  the  picture,  Cedric  Gib- 
bons continues  his  habit  of  designing 
sets  of  great  artistic  value,  and  Charles 
Lawton’s  camera  does  full  justice  to 
their  photographic  possibilities.  Dor- 
othy Yost  and  Ernest  Pagano  wrote 
the  screen  play,  which  is  based  on  a 
story  by  Jean  Guitton.  To  Busby 
Berkeley  goes  unstinted  praise  for  the 
sympathetic  direction  which  makes  the 
picture  so  appealing. 

One  you  cannot  afford  to  miss.  And 
by  all  means  take  the  children.  It  pre- 
sents the  most  remarkable  baby  seen 
on  the  screen  in  years.  If  exhibitors  get 
behind  it  they  should  find  it  a profit- 
able attraction.  They  will  feel  that 
Harry  Rapf  should  get  an  Academy 
Award  for  discovering  Baby  Quintan- 
illa. 

Hardly  Big  Enough 
For  Its  Big  Star 

IRENE,  RKO  Release 

Producer-director  Herbert  Wilcox 

Screen  play  Alice  Duer  Miller 

From  the  musical  comedy  "Irene" 

Book  by  James  H.  Montgomery 

Music  and  lyrics  by:  Harry  Tierney,  Joseph 

McCarthy. 

Director  of  photography  Russell  Metty,  ASC 
Art  director  L.  P.  Williams 

Gowns  Edward  Stevenson 

Recorder  Richard  Van  Hessen 

Special  effects  Vernon  L.  Walker,  ASC 

Assistant  directors  Syd  Fogel,  Lloyd  Richards 
Musical  director  Anthony  Collins 

Orchestra  arrangements:  Anthony  Collins, 

Gene  Rose. 

Cast:  Anna  Neagle,  Ray  Milland,  Roland 

Young,  Alan  Marshal,  May  Robson,  Billie 
Burke,  Arthur  Treacher,  Marsha  Hunt,  Isabel 
Jewell,  Doris  Nolan,  Stuart  Robertson,  Ethel 
Griffies,  Tom  Kelly,  Juliette  Compton,  Roxanne 
Barkley.  Running  time,  93  minutes. 

ICE  little  musical  romance  in  which 

Anna  Neagle  fully  realizes  all  the 
possibilities  of  the  leading  role.  Her 
hold  on  American  picture  patrons  was 
established  by  her  characterizations  of 
Queen  Victoria  and  Edith  Cavell.  In 
pictures  sketching  the  careers  of  those 
notable  women,  the  English  girl  proved 
herself  a really  brilliant  actress,  one  to 
be  taken  seriously  and  to  be  expected 
to  rise  to  even  greater  acting  heights. 
She  was  unusual,  in  that  while  still 
young  and  beautiful  she  impressed  the 
world  by  her  characterization,  in  the 
case  of  the  British  queen,  of  a woman 
nearing  her  eighties.  One  can  sympa- 
thize with  the  urge  of  youth  to  play 
youth,  but  if  such  an  urge  stirred  Miss 
Neagle,  I feel  it  should  have  been  ex- 
pressed in  a vehicle  which  made  greater 


PAGE  EIGHT 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


a.-.d  mci  s2 . iOus  demands  upon  her  as 
. aramatic  actress. 

7 here  is  nothing  lacking  in  Anna 
Neagle's  Irene  performance,  but  her  part 
is  one  of  such  definite  limits  it  could 
have  been  played  satisfactorily  by  any 
one  of  a score  of  girls  who  already  had 
been  identified  with  successful  roman- 
tic  - singing  - dancing  productions.  In 
other  words,  Miss  Neagle  stepped  out 
of  a field  in  which  few  excelled  as  she 
had  done,  and  entered  one  in  which 
many  already  had  proved  themselves 
adequate. 

Takes  Liberties  with  Music 

<J  The  Irene  story  is  too  frail  to  sup- 
port the  weight  of  its  length.  When 
the  picture  nears  its  already  too  long 
delayed  ending,  it  checks  its  forward 
progress  to  permit  its  star  to  do  a long 
solo  dance  to  express  emotions  which 
could  have  been  expressed  in  a line  of 
dialogue  or  a fleeting  glance.  Another 
sequence  which  mars  the  mood  of  the 
production  is  that  in  which  a succession 
of  singing  groups  distorts  the  lilting 
beauty  of  the  music  of  Alice  Blue  Gown , 
a song  too  well  established  to  make  it 
advisable  to  subject  it  to  such  indignity. 

The  picture  is  given  a scenically  im- 
pressive production,  one  of  beauty  and 
sweep,  admirably  designed  by  L.  P. 
Williams  and  artistically  photographed 
by  Russell  Metty  and  Vernon  Walker. 
A factor  in  its  visual  appeal  are  the 
scores  of  gowns  designed  by  Edward 
Stevenson.  Screen  play  by  Alice  Duer 
Miller  is  commendable  except  in  its  pro- 
vision for  intimate  conversations  on 
dance  floors,  scenes  which  lose  their  in- 
timacy, consequently  their  story  value, 
by  delivery  of  the  speeches  in  tones  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  all  the  dancers. 
In  all  other  respects  Herbert  Wilcox’s 
direction  is  competent.  Performances 
throughout  are  excellent.  Ray  Milland 
displays  more  sympathetic  understand- 
ing of  his  role  than  hitherto  has  char- 
acterized his  work.  I liked  him  in  his 
first  picture,  gave  him  his  first  favorable 
mention,  but  since  then  he  has  impress- 
ed me  as  being  a superficial  player.  Ro- 
land Young,  Alan  Marshal,  May  Rob- 
son, Billie  Burke,  and  Marsha  Hunt  are 
others  to  be  credited  with  valuable  con- 
tributions to  Irene.  I wish  some  pro- 
ducer would  give  Marsha  a chance  to 
show  what  she  can  do. 

Rather  conventional  wake-over  of  an 
established  favorite;  characterized  by 
good  taste  and  visual  attractiveness.  Will 
not  break  box-office  records,  but  exhibi- 
tors should  find  its  showing  profitable. 

★ Romance  with  a capital  “R”  will 
glow  from  the  stages  of  America  if 
Vivien  Leigh  and  Laurence  Olivier  get 
together  for  a projected  production  of 
Romeo  and  Juliet,  which  production 
would  tour  the  states.  However,  don’t 
hold  your  breath.  The  plans  of  mice 
and  men — . 


Dead  Men  Multiply 
In  Mystery  Yarn 

THE  SAINT  TAKES  OVER,  RKO 
Producer  Howard  Benedict 

Executive  producer  Lee  Marcus 

Director  Jack  Hively 

Screen  play Lynn  Root,  Frank  Fenton 

Musical  director  Roy  Webb 

Director  of  photography.  Frank  Redman,  ASC 
Gowns  Renie 

Recorder Earl  A.  Wolcott 

Editor  Desmond  Marquette 

Cast:  George  Sanders,  Wendy  Barrie,  Jona- 
than Hale,  Paul  Guilfoyle,  Morgan  Conway, 
Robert  Emmett  Keane,  Cyrus  W.  Kendall, 
James  Burke,  Robert  Middlemass,  Roland 
Drew,  Nella  Walker,  Pierre  Watkin. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 

OUR  clever  and  suave  friend  The  Saint 
sleuths  again  here  and  in  a picture  as 
smooth  in  story  movement  and  general 
acting  as  any  of  the  series.  The  piece 
takes  its  share  of  what  might  be  termed 
mystery  story  license,  but  it  is  all  in- 
terest-sustaining and  the  incidents  seem 
plausible  enough  at  the  time.  Emphasis 
is  on  humor  and  the  comedy  is  adroitly 
handled  and  efficacious.  We  are  beguil- 
ed into  taking  nothing  seriously.  Car- 
casses accumulate  throughout  the  story, 
but  we  are  not  the  least  dismayed.  In 
fact,  when  one  man,  secreted  away  from 
his  home  for  safe  keeping,  is  shot 
through  a basement  window,  we  laugh 
like  all  get  out,  and  we  further  chuckle 
at  his  stupid,  staring  expression  when 
being  transported  homeward  in  a lim- 
ousine. If  you  want  to  see  some  of  the 
barbarian  in  you,  here  is  your  chance. 
It  is  extraordinary  what  viewpoints 
and  reactions  drama  can  inveigle  us  into. 

Part  of  the  humor  arises  out  of  the 
circumstance  that  Jonathan  Hale,  again 
Inspector  Lernack,  now  deprived  of  his 
badge  because  of  a gangland  frame-up, 
manages  to  be  found  in  the  company  of 
each  of  the  “stiffs”  when  they  are  dis- 
covered by  The  Saint,  who  takes  full 
advantage  of  the  incriminating  circum- 
stance to  prod  the  inspector.  There  is 
a good  quota  of  amusing  lines  in  the 
screen  play  by  Lynn  Root  and  Lrank 
Lenton,  and  especially  so  are  those  al- 
lotted to  Paul  Guilfoyle,  seen  as  a dim- 
witted  gangster,  coerced  into  aligning 
himself  with  the  law.  Guilfoyle  is  very 
entertaining  in  the  part.  He  should  do 
comedy  more  often. 

Gone  the  Lackluster 

<1  George  Sanders  is  seen  to  better  ad- 
vantage here  than  in  any  performance 
of  his  I have  seen  for  some  time,  having 
divested  his  work  of  a lackluster  qual- 
ity which  has  characterized  it  on  occa- 
sion in  the  past.  He  is  at  once  subtle 
and  animate,  points  his  comedy  lines 
well.  Wendy  Barrie  is  very  agreeable 
optically  and  plays  with  charm,  though 
it  is  a little  hard  to  believe  that  such  a 
charming  one  could  be  guilty  of  such 


extensive  murder — or  is  this  letting  a 
cat  out  of  the  bag?  Hardly,  I think, 
since  she  becomes  suspect  in  an  early 
episode. 

Jonathan  Hale,  as  intimated,  is  deft 
at  reacting  to  the  slings  and  arrows  of 
The  Saint’s  outrageous  wit,  fully  real- 
izing the  comedy  possibilities  of  his 
role.  The  adroit  handling  alluded  to 
was  done  by  Director  Jack  Hively.  The 
film  reflects  good  production  supervi- 
sion, the  newly  instated  Howard  Bene- 
dict being  production  chief,  with  Lee 
Marcus  as  executive  producer.  Sets  are 
attractive  or  atmospheric,  photography 
by  Lrank  Redman  is  an  attribute,  and 
editing  by  Desmond  Marquette  is  adept. 
Musical  background  by  Roy  Webb  is 
suitably  gittery,  too. 

Another  of  the  Saint  series,  this  one 
boasts  a good  deal  of  successful  humor 
and  considerable  finesse  in  the  playing 
and  direction.  The  yarn  holds  the  in- 
terest. Not  for  very  young  children, 
because  of  the  accumulation  of  murders, 
despite  that  the  deceased  are  crooks  and 
a whimsical  view  is  taken  of  their  pass- 
ing. 

Has  Prize  Fight , 

Song  and  Dance 

GRANDPA  GOES  TO  TOWN,  Republic 
Associate  producer-director  Gus  Meins 

Original  screen  play  Jack  Townley 

Photographer  Reggie  Lanning 

Film  editor  Lester  Orlebeck 

Art  director  John  Victor  Mackay 

Musical  director  Cy  Feuer 

Wardrobe  Adele  Palmer 

Cast:  James  Gleason,  Lucile  Gleason,  Rus- 
sell Gleason,  Harry  Davenport,  Lois  Ranson, 
Tommy  Ryan,  Maxie  Rosenbloom,  Ledda  Go- 
doy,  Noah  Beery,  Douglas  Meins,  Garry 
Owen,  Ray  Turner,  Lee  "Lasses"  White,  Wal- 
ter Miller,  Emmett  Lynn,  Joe  Caits,  Arturo 
Godoy.  Running  time,  65  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
V1DENTLY  there  is  an  established 
market  for  these  Higgins  Lamily  of- 
ferings, and  in  as  much  as  enough  peo- 
ple are  being  entertained  to  make  the 
films  profitable,  the  Republic  people 
probably  will  not  consider  critical  re- 
action very  relevant.  And  I am  not 
too  sure  that  it  is,  except  for  those  read- 
ers whose  response  is  likely  to  concur 
with  that  of  the  critic’s,  and  these  per- 
sons probably  know  already  what  the 
Higgins  series  is  like.  It  is  possible, 
though,  that  the  appeal  of  the  series 
could  be  widened  and  that  even  further 
elation  could  be  evoked  from  those  who 
have  laid  down  their  quarters  for  Hig- 
gins diversion  and  come  back  for  more. 

The  present  picture.  Grandpa  Goes 
to  Town,  is  a better  film  than  the  last 
one  I saw  of  the  series.  It  has  been  given 
considerable  production  elaboration,  in- 
cluding several  turns  of  song  and 
dance  and  a demonstration  fistic  bout 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  NINE 


between  the  South  American  champion, 
Arturo  Godoy,  and  our  own  Maxie 
Rosenbloom.  Seems  to  me,  though,  as 
I observed  before,  there  is  something 
incongruous  in  the  handling  of  the 
story  material,  in  that  emphasis  is  so 
preponderantly  on  farcical  predicaments 
and  gags,  and  so  little  endeavor  is  made 
to  develop  the  human  interest  element 
one  expects  in  a family  picture.  No 
discernible  affection  or  sympathy  passes 
among  the  Higgins  clan;  they  take  one 
another  pretty  much  for  granted.  The 
mother  is  an  inordinately  dumb  wo- 
man. the  father  spends  much  of  his 
time  in  a slow  burn.  Their  raison 
de'etre  seems  to  be  to  get  into  involve- 
ments. 

Anything  Can  Happen 

Cl  Be  oreoared  to  see  a picture  in  which 
plausibility  is  valued  at  about  two  figs. 
Predicaments  and  gags  will  be  your 
chief  reward.  Personally  I found  the 
opening  portion,  especially  the  incident 
in  which  the  inordinately  dumb  mother 
buys  a hotel  without  even  consulting 
her  husband,  a little  too  far-fetched  to 
swallow.  The  hotel  is  a dilapidated 
thing  in  a western  “ghost  town,"  but 
the  elder  son  overhears  two  prospectors 
jubilantly  proclaiming  the  discovery  of 
gold — he  could  not  possibly  have  per- 
ceived they  were  actors  performing  be- 
fore a camera — and  with  equal  jubi- 
lance spreads  the  news,  with  the  result 
that  the  town  has  a boom.  Gangsters 
feature  and  there  are  sundry  complica- 
tions. 

The  middle  portion  of  the  picture  is 
simpler  of  design  and  affords  pretty 
good  entertainment,  what  with  the  vo- 
cal, terpsichorean,  and  fistic  present- 
ments. Godoy  and  his  attractive  wife 
also  have  some  lines  in  the  picture.  The 
somewhat  rearranged  features  of  the 
former  take  the  cinema  lights  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  him  passable  for  the 
ghost  in  Hamlet.  And  speaking  of 
countenances,  Rosenbloom  with  a pie 
in  the  puss  is  another  sight  extraor- 
dinary. Lois  Ranson  stands  out  in  the 
cast  as  an  unusually  versatile  and  tal- 
ented miss,  being  accomplished  at  both 
singing  and  dancing,  as  well  as  being 
competent  in  her  part.  Douglas  Meins 
handles  his  singing  spots  agreeably. 
The  Gleasons  are  efficient,  and  as  much 
can  be  said  for  Harry  Davenport  and 
Tommy  Ryan.  It  was  good  to  see 
Noah  Beery  again,  whose  rugged  fea- 
tures are  strongly  expressive  cinematic- 
ally.  Direction  is  adequate,  the  mount- 
ing satisfactory. 

Higgins  family  fans  will  doubtless 
find  this  much  to  their  liking,  as  it  is 
comparatively  one  of  the  better  films 
of  the  series.  Exacting  patrons,  how- 
ever, will  probably  balk  at  the  flagrant 
implausibilities  of  the  story.  The  mid- 
dle portion  of  the  film  is  fairly  enter- 
taining, affording  song  and  dance  num- 


bers and  a prize  fight.  Presence  in  the 
story  of  Arturo  Godoy  may  cut  ice  with 
some  patrons.  Suitable  for  the  children. 

Ambitious  Orphan 
Leads  Hard  Life 

TOMBOY,  Monogram 

Producer  Scott  R.  Dunlap 

Director  Robert  McGowan 

Original  story  and  screen  play:  Marion  Orth, 

Dorothy  Reid. 

Director  of  photography  Harry  Neumann.  ASC 
Technical  director  E.  R.  Hickson 

Film  editor  Russell  Schoengarth 

Musical  director  Edward  Kay 

Cast:  Marcia  Mae  Jones,  Jackie  Moran,  Char- 
lotte Wynters,  Grant  Withers,  George  Cleve- 
land, Clara  Blandick,  Marvin  Stephens.  Run- 
ning time,  70  minutes. 

Reviewed  by  Bert  Harlen 
TEARFUL  talc  comes  from  Mono- 
gram in  this  drama  of  an  orphan 
farm  lad  reaching  for  the  light  but  im- 
peded and  harassed  by  a very  un-un- 
derstanding uncle.  The  uncle  is  one  of 
the  meanest  white  men  you  will  have 
seen,  works  the  boy  hard,  yet  calls  him 
worthless,  beats  him  on  the  least  provo- 
cation, and  even  makes  him  quit  school, 
one  of  his  few  delights,  because  it  in- 
terferes with  his  tasks  on  the  farm.  The 
gall  of  disappointment  is  given  us  in 
large  measure  when  the  youngster,  hav- 
ing looked  forward  for  days  to  attend- 
ing a basket  social  and  chopped  wood 
at  nights  for  a neighbor  to  earn  seventy- 
five  cents,  is  cursorily  refused  permission 
to  go  at  the  last  minute.  The  oppres- 
sion and  travail  become  hard  for  human 
flesh  to  bear  at  times — our  flesh. 

A generous  scoop  of  dramatic  pepper- 
mints is  provided  at  the  end  of  the  bit- 
ter repast,  however.  The  boy  having 
fought  a couple  of  thieving  tramps, 
uncle  suddenly  perceives  his  true  worth, 
pats  him  on  the  back,  and  offers  to  treat 
him  like  a son  henceforth.  Not  all  the 
previous  proceedings  are  ill-flavored, 
moreover.  There  is  a spicing  of  humor 
here  and  there  and  some  tender  morsels 
of  budding  young  love.  I suppose  Tom- 
boy comes  under  the  classification  of 
naive  entertainment.  Technically  it  is 
not  badly  done.  The  playing  in  spots 
is  rather  good.  The  rural,  homespun 
quality  at  times  is  refreshing,  and  the 
directness  and  simplicity  of  the  story 
exert  an  appeal.  Yet  the  piece  tends  to 
be  heavy-handed  in  its  appeal  to  our 
emotions,  and  character  delineation  by 
and  large  is  hardly  searching. 

Many  May  Like  It 

<|  Now,  this  may  not  matter  a tittle  to 
small  town  audiences.  In  fact,  these 
gross  aspects  of  the  picture  may  be  in 
its  favor  with  such  assemblages.  The 
picture  may  clean  up  in  some  quarters. 
The  hearty  farm  folk  who  flock  into 
Bethany.  Missouri,  every  Saturday  night 


possibly  will  relist)  a snorting  weep 
and  welcome  the  catharsis  of  a livid 
outrage  at  the  uncle’s  un-understand- 
ing. My  reviewing  naturally  aims  to 
set  forth  the  probable  reaction  of  most 
Spectator  readers. 

Young  Jackie  Moran  is  a likeable 
lad,  and  numerous  of  his  scenes,  both 
of  a heavy  and  light  sort,  are  effective. 
His  best  playing  is  that  done  in  a sim- 
ple way.  It  seems  to  me  his  work  would 
benefit  by  dropping  the  stock  juvenile 
mannerisms  in  which  he  indulges  now 
and  then.  Marcia  Mae  Jones  character- 
izes vigorously  as  the  tomboy  daughter 
of  a retired  baseball  player,  newcomers 
to  the  rural  section.  I hear  tell  the 
Monogram  people  plan  to  film  some 
further  Jones  - Moran  features.  The 
youngsters  team  well.  Charlotte  Wyn- 
ters, Grant  Withers,  George  Cleveland, 
Clara  Blandick,  and  Marvin  Stephens 
are  competent,  and  young  Buddy  Pep- 
per effervesces  briefly.  Direction  by  Rob- 
ert McGowan  is  workmanlike.  Once 
or  twice  he  could  have  watched  more 
closely  the  consistency  in  the  emotional 
state  of  a character  between  one  shot 
and  the  next.  Cinematographer  Harry 
Neumann  has  provided  some  attractive 
rustic  shots.  Monogram  musical  back- 
grounds are  improving,  musical  direc- 
tor here  being  Edward  Kay.  The  screen 
play  was  by  Marion  Orth  and  Dorothy 
Reid. 

Rather  heavy-handed  in  enlisting  our 
sympathy  for  a central  figure,  an  or- 
phan lad.  Characterizations  are  not 
very  subtle.  Discriminating  patrons 
would  consider  it  naive  fare.  Small- 
towners — including  those  who  live  in 
cities — may  think  it  great  stuff.  Very 
suitable  for  children. 


is  Two  productions  are  being  consid- 
ered by  the  new  Frank  Capra-Robert 
Riskin  independent  production  unit  fol- 
lowing completion  of  The  Life  of  John 
Doe,  which  undertaking  is  expected  to 
reach  the  shooting  stage  sometime 
soon.  Choice  of  their  ensuing  enter- 
prise will  lie  between  Don  Quixote  and 
Ehe  Life  of  William  Shakespeare.  This 
latter  idea,  given  the  Capra-Riskin 
treatment,  should  make  a fascinating 
film. 


Printing 

Mimeographing 

Multigraphing 

Typeing 

JEANNE  EDWARDS 

1655  North  Cherokee 
(at  Hollywood  Blvd.) 

HEmpstead  1969 


PAGE  TEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


7 hU  Hcllifuccct 

MANY  REMAKES  ARE  SCHEDULED 

WICE  told  tales — and  some  thrice 
told  ones — will  abound  in  the  filmic 
output  of  the  1940-41  season.  The 
past  season  has  seen  an  increase  of  these 
remakes,  some  exploited  as  such  and 
others  released  with  new  titles  and 
trimmings,  but  during  coming  months 
the  picture  patron  forgetful  of  his  titles 
— or  deluded  by  new  ones — will  be 
scratching  his  head  even  more  frequent- 
ly than  heretofore,  trying  to  recall  just 
when  and  where  he  has  previously  en- 
countered characters  and  situations. 
Among  the  stories  announced  for  pro- 
duction are  Mark  of  Zorro,  The  Way 
of  All  Flesh,  The  Desert  Song,  Dulcy, 
The  Patent  Leather  Kid,  Down  to  the 
Sea  In  Ships,  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde, 
and  there  are  a legion  of  others. 

A few  of  these  stories,  especially 
those  done  in  the  silent  picture  era,  are 
not  only  strong  fiction,  but  possess  pos- 
sibilities for  further  development  suffi- 
cient to  warrant  their  again  being 
brought  to  the  screen.  The  musical 
pieces  will  at  least  afford  some  tuneful 
vocalizing  and  perhaps  a bit  of  dancing. 
By  and  large,  however,  there  is  no  jus- 
tification or  excuse  for  the  rehashing  of 
these  stories.  Most  of  the  yarns  have 
either  already  been  done  as  well  as  they 
can  be  or,  ordinary  fictional  stuff  to 
begin  with,  have  been  worn  threadbare 
by  repetitions  in  motion  pictures,  dra- 
matic stock,  and  radio. 

It  Seems  But  Yesterday 

<1  Who  under  heaven,  for  instance, 
wants  to  see  Dulcy  again  ? Dr.  Jekyll 
and  Mr.  Hyde,  though  a fine  story, 
was  given  such  an  outstanding  produc- 
tion, and  this  such  a short  time  ago, 
that  the  memory  of  it  must  be  vivid  in 
the  minds  of  all  who  saw  it.  Person- 
ally, I can  recall  individual  scenes  be- 
tween Fredric  March  and  Miriam  Hop- 
kins. What  these  remakes  do  is  to 
convert  the  screen  from  a creative  and 
imaginative  medium  into  a sort  of  stock 
company.  The  mass  of  these  stories 
will  only  further  disappoint  or  weary 
the  public.  They  have  an  insidiously 
bad  effect  on  picture-goers,  too,  in  that 
they  convey  the  impression  that  the 
film  industry  is  reaching  the  end  of  its 
rope,  so  to  speak,  as  far  as  having  any- 
thing new  to  say  is  concerned.  Which, 
of  course,  is  far  from  the  truth. 

That  a dearth  of  story  material  ex- 
ists, however,  is  apparently  the  firm  be- 
lief of  some  film  executives.  Economy 
could  not  be  a real  motive  behind  the 
deluge  of  remakes.  Original  material 
could  be  bought  for  what  will  be  paid 
to  screen  writers  for  revamping  most  of 
the  scripts  with  new  dialogue  and  situ- 
ations. The  story  as  a rule  is  a com- 


paratively small  part  of  production  cost, 
anyway. 

There  Is  No  Story  Shortage 

What  is  really  lacking  is  not  poten- 
tial story  material  but  the  discernment 
to  see  the  potentiality  of  material  avail- 
able. Both  studio  reading  departments 
and  the  executives  need  to  reorder  and 
clarify  the  standards  by  which  they 
judge  the  suitability  of  stories.  Few  of 
the  outstanding  successes  of  recent  years 
which  were  adapted  from  plays  or  nov- 
els would  have  gotten  past  the  first 
reader  as  an  original  script.  Would 
Grapes  of  Wrath ? Or  Gone  With  the 
Wind ? Or  Stage  Door l These  stories 
were  filmed  only  because  the  public  had 
already  evinced  a strong  interest  in 
them.  But  a wide  range  of  suitable 
screen  material  not  the  current  rage  is 
available. 

Aside  from  original  scripts,  the  writ- 
ing of  which  has  never  been  fostered  by 
the  studios  as  it  should  have  been,  there 
are  overlooked  possibilities  among  the 
classics,  as  well  as  among  current  novels 
and  short  stories.  Moreover,  there  is  a 
wealth  of  material  reposing  in  dusty 
drawers  at  the  studios,  scripts  from  the 
earlier  silent  picture  days.  Off  hand  I 
can  call  to  mind  four  obscure  stories 
from  the  period  of  the  early  twenties 
that  would  make  capital  talking  pic- 
tures. A recital  of  them  will  be  forth- 
coming upon  receipt  of  a penny  post- 
card. 

* * * 

WANTED— A "BEEG"  WOMAN 

GEORGE  O’BRIEN,  back  from  a 
25,000-mile  tour  of  South  America 
via  airplane,  reports  the  Latins  find  our 
screen  heroines  insufficient,  not  in  his- 
trionic talent,  mind  you,  but  in  bulk. 
As  quoted  in  the  New  York  Times  the 
actor  says,  “The  natives  scorn  Holly- 
wood women  as  too  frail.  It’s  having 
a real  effect  in  increasing  the  popularity 
of  Argentine-made  pictures,  which  are 
replacing  the  Hollywood  product.  An 
exhibitor  in  La  Paz,  Bolivia,  said  sneer- 
ingly  but  earnestly  about  the  feminine 
lead  in  one  of  my  recent  films:  ‘You 

are  a beeg  man,  Meester  O’Brien.  You 
need  a beeg  woman.’ 

* * =!= 

DALTONS  WILL  RIDE  AGAIN 

COME  May,  the  Universal  people  will 
start  their  cameras  grinding  on  When 
the  Daltons  Rode,  which,  of  course, 
will  be  an  enactment  of  that  dramatic 
raid  of  the  daring  Dalton  gang  on  the 
financial  reserves  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas, 
the  five  men  holding  up  two  banks  at 
once.  The  picturization  will  be  of  par- 
ticular interest  to  me,  not  only  because 
the  account  of  the  exciting  raid  was  al- 


BY 

BERT  HARLEN 


ternated  with  Mother  Goose  and  Little 
Red  Riding  Hood — at  my  own  insist- 
ence, I must  admit — when  a youngster, 
but  also  because  it  was  in  Coffeyville 
that  this  Harlen  person  first  saw  the 
light  of  day. 

The  tale  has  now  become  a legend  in 
those  parts,  one  which  survives  with 
especial  vividness  in  my  family,  since 
nearly  all  of  them,  in  one  way  or  an- 
other, were  involved  in  the  event. 
Mater,  then  a child,  saw  the  outlaws 
riding  into  town,  five  abreast,  at  an 
unhurried,  steady  trot.  In  the  great 
gun  fracas  ^hat  ensued — the  town  had 
been  warned  that  the  notorious  Dal- 
tons were  coming  and  was  prepared  for 
them — grandfather  saw  the  man  beside 
him  keel  over,  and,  loosing  his  head, 
ran  into  a livery  stable  and  hid  his 
watch  in  a stack  of  hay.  Two  aunts, 
out  buggy  riding,  heard  the  Daltons 
were  in  town  and,  for  protection,  fol- 
lowed a man  ahead  of  them  on  horse- 
back. The  man  was  the  wounded  Em- 
mett, only  one  of  the  three  brothers  to 
escape  with  his  life. 

Later  the  family  en  masse  saw  the 
other  men  stretched  out  with  their  boots 
off,  grandfather  possibly  thinking  that 
the  spectacle  would  be  an  object  lesson. 
Emmett,  incidentally,  then  only  19, 
not  only  reformed  but  became  some- 
thing of  a reformer.  It  is  on  his  auto- 
biography that  the  Universal  film  will 
be  based. 

* * * 

AN  ITEM  ON  ODORS 

ON  HIS  amusing  radio  program  Ho 
Hum,  during  which  he  reads  items 
from  his  “snoozepaper,”  George  Apple- 
gate  informed  us  the  other  evening  that 
an  inventor  in  Europe  has  perfected  a 
device  that  adds  the  stimulus  of  scent 
to  screen  fare.  If  a garden  scene  is  pic- 
tured, the  spectator  is  favored  with  the 
fragrant  aroma  of  flowers.  If  the  locale 
is  a hospital,  the  drama  is  heightened 
by  the  pungency  of  ether.  But  really, 
Mr.  Applegate,  was  that  crack  very 
nice  about  many  pictures  not  needing 
the  gentleman’s  scent  invention? 


'&■  Kansas  City  audiences  have  got  out 
of  hand  in  their  revolt  against  bore- 
some  “supporting’’  features.  It  has  be- 
come a fad  to  mock  and  jeer  through- 
out their  running.  Villains  are  up- 
roariously applauded,  the  more  mirth- 
ful-minded spectators  arise  and  shout 
quips  at  the  performers.  More  fun — 
except  for  the  exhibitor. 
ir  Spectator  advertising  attracts  a max- 
imum of  attention  from  people  who 
really  count.  Its  pages  are  read,  not 
merely  skimmed.  Its  readers  comprise 
the  most  constructive  minds  in  the  in- 
dustry. 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  ELEVEN 


BY 

HOWARD  WALTER  FISK 


Ike  iiAtenincf  PoAt 


COMMENTS  ON  SOME  HOLLYWOOD  PROGRAMS 


PASSING  PARADE — Mon.,  8 p.m.,  KECA. 
Here  is  the  one-man  show  which  tops  all 
one-man  shows.  John  Nesbitt’s  style  is 
different,  his  material  engrossing,  his  ad- 
mirers legions.  Formerly  on  KHJ,  Nes- 
bitt has  been  on  and  off  the  air  many 
times,  but  like  the  India  rubber  man  he 
bounces  back  higher  and  higher. 

BURNS  AND  ALLEN — Wed..  7:30  p.m.. 
KNX.  This  program  will  be  the  subject 
of  the  analytical  review  in  next  issue. 
Some  folks  swear  by  this  team,  others 
swear  at  them.  I happen  not  to  like  it 
and  will  try  to  tell  why. 

I WAS  THERE — Sun.,  7 p.m..  KNX.  Here 
is  a program  with  a swell  idea  behind  it. 
It  has  always  impressed  me  that  the  show 
is  being  handled  somewhat  like  a stepchild. 
With  proper  grooming,  not  so  obvious 
writing  and  more  production  care  it  could 
go  from  a "for  free"  spot  to  a sponsor 
of  money  and  merit — with  emphasis  on 
both  money  and  merit. 

FLETCHER  WILEY— Mon.,  through  Fri„ 
10:30  a.m..  KNX.  The  "chief  of  staff" 
of  the  Housewives'  Protective  League  woke 
up  with  an  idea  one  morning,  several 
years  ago,  and  ran  the  idea  from  a few 
miles  of  wordy  workout  once  a week  to 
a cross  country  jaunt.  He  goes  coast-to- 
coast  now.  He  breaks  all  recognized  rules 
of  radio  delivery,  jumps  from  subject  to 
subject  like  a newscaster  who  dropped  his 


copy  and  is  reading  while  picking  up  the 
sheets.  But  he  has  a large  local  following 
and  his  material  always  has  something 
which  provokes  thought.  May  his  na- 
tional success  also  be  gratifying  to  him 
and  his  sponsors. 

I WANT  A DIVORCE— Sun.,  8:30  p.m., 
KFI.  This  show  has  two  of  the  most 
capable  men  in  Hollywood  radio  as  its 
helmsmen.  Van  Fleming  writes  the  air 
adaptations  of  big  name  stories,  and  suc- 
ceeds in  avoiding  a "pulp  fiction"  atmos- 
phere. Van  is  sincere  in  his  work.  Wil- 
liam Lawrence  directs  it.  and  for  my 
money  Bill  is  one  of  the  most  sympathetic 
producers  in  the  business.  Given  a spon- 
sor who  would  pay  the  bills  and  give  hint 
a free  hand.  Bill  could  make  most  any  of 
them  sit  up  and  take  notice.  The  casts  of 
/ Want  a Divorce  arc  uniformly  good.  I 
have  always  thought  the  idea  behind  the 
show  smelled  just  a bit. 

TUNE  UP  TIME— KNX.  Andre  Kostel- 
lanetz  and  his  music.  Tony  Martin  as 
soloist.  There  just  isn’t  any  better  com- 
bination for  an  enjoyable  show.  The 
Firestone  program  is  similar  in  its  set- 
up but  it  lacks  the  color  and  person- 
ality which  Kostelanetz  gets  into  his 
program.  One  cannot  compare  Richard 
Crooks  and  Tony  Martin  because  they 
are  different  in  their  vocal  styles.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  Tony  is  more  important  in 
his  field  than  Crooks  is  in  his. 


Daylight  Saving  Time  is  now  in  effect  in  many  cities  from  which  your  favorite  programs 
originate,  thus  many  Hollywood  programs  have  been  shifted.  Check  with  your  newspaper  for 
correct  times  on  programs  not  mentioned  here. 


(This  is  the  fourth  of  a senes  of  an- 
alytical reviews  of  programs  originating 
in  Hollywood.) 

FROM  a chummy  dinner  to  a chiller- 
diller  is  quite  a jump  for  a radio 
author  to  make,  but  Carleton  Morse 
does  it  each  week  with  practically  no 
effort  at  all.  Therefore,  this  issue’s  re- 
view will  consider  One  Man’s  Family 
and  I Love  a Mystery  more  or  less  as 
a single  offering.  In  the  first  place,  the 
same  man  writes  both.  In  the  second 
place,  virtually  the  same  cast  enacts 
them.  For  instance,  Paul.  Nickie  and 
Jack  of  the  Tribe  of  Barbour  turn  up 
as  Packard,  Reggie  and  Doc  in  the  you- 
kill-me-or-ITl-kill-you  series.  In  a les- 
ser degree  Claudia,  Hazel,  Betty,  et  al, 
of  the  Barbour  female  contingent,  stand 
by  to  fill  the  girl-to-be-saved  roles  when 
the  Three  Comrades  need  an  incentive 
to  do  deeds  of  valour. 

The  fact  that  both  shows  carry  many 
of  the  same  people  has,  to  a great  de- 
gree, lessened  my  interest  in  them.  For 
five  or  six  years  several  millions  of  us 
became  good  friends  of  the  Barbours. 
We  laughed  with  them,  we  exulted 
with  them,  we  worried  with  them.  Sev- 
eral times  it  just  happened  that  some- 
thing got  in  my  eye,  and  I called  for 
a very  large  hankie,  when  some  of  the 
more  tragic  events  descended  upon  them. 

New  Voices  and  Old 

•I  At  any  rate,  I have  never  been  able 
to  accept  the  Three  Comrades  as  being 
other  than  the  Barbour  boys  playing 
cops  and  robbers.  I have  never  made 
inquiry  as  to  why  Morse  put  the  Bar- 
bours into  the  chill  show,  but  he  made 
me  mad  when  he  did  it.  One  reason  I 
was  irked  is  as  stated  above — I cannot 
and  will  not  believe  the  said  comrades 
are  the  real  McCoy.  Another  is  that 
Morse,  who  has  a genius  for  casting 
radio  roles — and  in  evidence  I submit 
the  priceless  antique  dealer  in  the  cur- 
rent Morse  mystery — could  have  (and 
should  have)  spread  the  work  around. 
If  by  now  the  readers  of  this  column  do 
not  know  that  I have  a great  antipathy 
for  too  many  shows  having  too  many 
of  the  same  people  on  them,  this  is  just 
as  good  a time  to  find  it  out  as  any. 
Radio's  greatest  asset,  as  far  as  its  talent 
appeal  is  concerned,  is  voices. 

When  the  same  people  appear  on 
show  after  show — no  matter  how  good 
they  may  be — it  gets  a little  tiresome. 
Sort  of  like  having  ham  and  beans  at 
every  meal.  Morse  could  have  found  in 
the  great  wealth  of  radio  talent  in  Hol- 
lywood, actors  who  could  do  the  job 
as  well  as  those  now  doing  it.  Further- 
more, it  would  have  saved  me  much 
confusion.  As  it  is  I have  to  think 


twice  to  remember  whether  it  is  time 
for  my  Tenderleaf  Tea  or  Fleischman's 
High  Vitamin  Yeast  three  times  daily. 

Hokum  and  Hacks 

•J  In  the  face  of  considerable  adverse 
opinion  from  radio  writers  and  that 
small  portion  of  the  listening  public 
with  whom  I come  in  contact,  I hereby 
proclaim  it  is  my  belief  that  Carleton 
Morse  writes  the  best  radio  heard  on 
the  air  today.  True,  he  is  very  wordy. 
True,  One  Man’s  Family  has  little  or 
no  plot  (as  plots  go  in  Hollywood). 
True,  I Love  a Mystery  is  hokum  with 
a capital  hoke.  Likewise,  it  is  true  that 
in  the  tidal  wave  of  words  which  he 
pours  out  each  week  is  the  soundest 
psychology  underlying  anything  on  the 
air.  It  is  also  true  that  your  life  and 
mine  are  not  built  on  the  lines  of  a 
predetermined  story  idea  in  a magazine. 
That  is  why  the  Barbours  are  so  well 
liked  by  millions.  Again  it  is  true  that 
the  listener  will  accept  a lot  of  hokum 
if  he  is  led  to  believe  the  characters 
could  be  real  people. 

Now,  of  course,  Morse  is  in  a most 
enviable  position — a position  which  he 


created  by  virtue  of  his  talents — in  that 
he  is  responsible  to  no  one  for  what  he 
writes  or  how  he  produces  it.  His  spon- 
sors have  confidence  in  his  excellent 
taste,  in  his  desire  to  give  his  public 
radio  drama  that  is,  even  in  his  blood 
and  thunder,  deeply  colored  with  the 
tones  of  semi-classical  music.  Were  all 
sponsors  as  broad-minded  there  might 
be  more  fine  radio  writers  instead  of  the 
vast  number  of  hacks  that  radio  is  de- 
veloping. These  writers  do  not  want 
to  be  hacks.  They  want  to  write  what 
is  popularly  termed  “good  stuff."  I do 
not  say  highbrow  stuff ; I say  good  stuff. 

No  "Slick"  Field 

C[  Radio  has  yet  to  develop  a “slick” 
field.  The  greater  portion  of  its  writ- 
ing is  “pulp.”  When  a writer  gets  a 
“slick”  idea  and  develops  it  to  where 
it  should  have  full  color  illustrations, 
the  producer,  sponsor  (or  heaven  knows 
who)  will  yell.  “The  public  won't 
like  it”;  and  the  net  result  is  a good 
writing  job  run  through  a deglossing 
process  and  coming  out  with  bad  pen 
and  ink  sketches  to  dress  up  a story 
that  has  been  re-written  “down”  to  a 
moron's  I.  Q.  It  makes  it  most  discour- 


PAGE  TWELVE 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


aging.  M -we,  Dovever,  nac  no  such 
problem. 

In  answer  to  those  who  believe  that 
the  public  is  an  ignorant  herd  who  pre- 
fer tripe  to  Tenderleaf  Tea,  I submit 
as  an  added  exhibit,  this  laboratory 
test:  The  next  time  Morse  has  Paul 

Barbour  read  a lengthy  excerpt  from  a 
current  book,  even  if  it  happens  already 
to  be  a best  seller,  just  check  with  your 
weekly  book  review  pages,  from  coast  to 
coast,  and  see  what  happens.  If  you 
listen  carefully  and  quietly  you  will  be 
able  to  hear  the  book's  publisher  offer- 
ing this  addendum  to  his  nightly  pray- 
er, “And  God  bless  Carleton  for  men- 
tioning my  book.’’  I have  made  that 
observation  several  times.  When,  if 
and  as  I complete  my  great  American 
novel — on  which  I have  been  meditat- 
ing for  fifteen  years  or  more — one  of 
its  most  important  passages  will  be 
written  just  in  the  hope  that  Paul  Bar- 
bour will  use  it.  Of  course,  there  would 
be  no  mercenary  thought  in  connection 
with  such  a plan.  No — not  a bit  of  it. 

I merely  want  Paul  to  think  the  pas- 
sage worthy  of  public  reading,  and  if 
that  sells  ten  thousand  additional  copies 
— well,  can  I prevent  it?  Would  I if 
I could? 

:*C  jfc  ifc 

WHAT?  NO  ADMISSIONS? 

ILLIAM  CARSON,  of  North  Hol- 
lywood, writes:  “Aren’t  you  be- 

ing sort  of  like  a little  tin  god,  telling 
people  what  is  good  and  what  is  not 
good  in  radio?  You  don't  pay  to  hear 
the  shows,  you  get  free  tickets  to  broad- 
casts, if  you  want  them,  and  yet  you 
seem  to  think  that  you  should  review 
a radio  program  as  though  you  had 
planked  down  $4.40  for  an  orchestra 
seat  (if  you  have  $4.40) . 

Let  us  take  up  his  items  in  reverse 
order.  Number  one:  I do  not  have  the 
four-forty.  Number  two:  Radio  is  a 
new  form  of  art  and  entertainment 
combined,  just  as  pictures,  the  stage, 
concerts,  books  and  other  cultural  and 
semi-cultural  endeavors  are  arts.  All 
are  indulged  in  for  profit  and  for  pleas- 
ure. That  being  true,  radio  should  be 
handled  in  this  journal  as  such.  Radio 
is  out  of  its  short  pants.  It  has  grown 
up.  Too  fast,  perhaps,  and  too  erratic- 
ally; nevertheless,  it  deserves  adult  con- 
sideration, sincere  and  intelligent  han- 
dling, and  constructive  criticism.  With 
my  best  efforts,  I am  trying  to  give  it 
the  latter. 

Who  Pays  for  Radio? 

C|  As  to  Mr.  Carson’s  third  point,  I 
do  pay  admission  to  radio  shows.  Each 
time  I buy  any  product  advertised  on 
the  radio,  I pay  a certain  proportion  of 
its  cost  to  me  as  advertising.  Take 
Blank-Blank  coffee,  for  instance.  We 
use  two  pounds  weekly,  104  pounds 
per  year.  Two  cents  per  pound  is 


charged  to  advertising  on  the  radio. 
That  is  my  admission  to  Blank-Blank's 
radio  program.  But,  you  say,  you  get 
a program  a week  for  two  cents  for 
your  whole  family.  That  is  true. 

On  the  other  hand  think  of  the  hun- 
dreds and  hundreds  of  other  radio  ad- 
vertised products  I buy,  the  programs 
of  which  I never  hear.  I pay  for  those 
programs,  too,  but  do  not  avail  myself 
of  them.  They  are  there,  just  as  Helen 
Hayes  is  at  the  theatre,  or  Clark  Gable 
at  the  neighborhood  movie.  I do  not 
have  to  go,  unless  I choose.  I do  not 
have  to  listen  unless  I want  to.  But — 
whether  I listen  or  not — I pay.  That 
fact  gives  me  the  right  to  be  an  arm 
chair  critic  of  any  program,  large  or 
small,  and  of  airing  my  criticism  via 
the  Spectator,  just  as  critics  of  other 
arts  make  a living  giving  their  views. 

One  more  point:  It  is  quite  true  that 
if  it  were  not  for  radio,  and  other  forms 
of  advertising,  the  products  I buy  would 
be  less  universally  used  and  would  cost 
more  than  they  do  under  mass  produc- 
tion methods.  In  which  case,  it  is  ques- 
tionable whether  I would  buy  as  much 
of  them  as  I do.  So,  do  not  come  back 
with  the  argument  that  the  savings  I 
make  because  of  wide  use  of  products 
destroys  my  above  contention.  You 
know — and  you,  and  you,  and  you — 
that  mass  production,  newspaper  and 
radio  advertising,  bulk  distribution  and 
other  merchandising  methods  make  for 
greater  gross  profits,  even  though  the 
per  package  cost  is  less.  Who  pays  for 
radio?  Who  pays  the  hidden  taxes?  I 
do,  and  you,  and  you,  and  you — 

* * % 

ODDS  AND  ENDS 

Have  you  ever  noticed  that  Mel  Ruick 
of  Lux  Radio  Theatre  often  sounds  so 
much  like  C.  B.  DeM.,  that  it  is  hard 
to  tell  them  apart,  and  that  Earnest 
Chappell  on  Campbell  Playhouse  sounds 
like — you  know  who?  I would  men- 
tion who  “Who"  is,  but  he  has  been 
in  this  column  so  frequently  I have 
been  accused  of  being  subsidized  by  him. 

5*C 

When  Benny  Rubin  was  doing  his 
Yankee  Doodle  laugh  as  m.c.  at  Grau- 
man’s  Egyptian,  he  was  one  of  my 
favorites.  He  still  is,  and  a more  ver- 
satile character  delineator  cannot  be 
found  for  radio.  His  Refugee  on  the 
Lum  ’n’  Abner  benefit  was  top  flight 
reading. 

* * * 

Quite  often  I find  myself  wanting 
to  hear  The  White  Fires  of  Inspira- 
tion which  KNX  used  to  put  on.  Jon 
Slott  wrote  it,  Ralph  Scott  produced, 
and  White  Fires  was  among  the  best 
programs  ever  to  come  out  of  Holly- 
wood. Obviously,  the  program  was  un- 
sponsored, because — for  some  unknown 


reason — the  best  programs  always  are 
unsponsored,  unless  they  have  a come- 
dian, a dummy,  or  a torch  singer  on 
them,  or  all  three. 

* * * 

Honestly,  I am  amazed  at  the  recep- 
tion which  this  department  has  received 
at  the  hands  of  those  who  are  in  or  on 
the  fringe  of  radio.  Naturally,  those 
are  the  people  it  is  written  for — not  for 
the  average  reader.  If  said  average  read- 
er gets  pleasure,  so  much  the  better. 
Some  of  those  who  have  expressed  opin- 
ions have  quite  openly  stated  that  they 
thought  this  was  a terrible  column. 
Some  have  said  they  thought  it  was 
quite  good.  Opinion,  to  date,  is  about 
twp  to  one  in  favor  of  the  latter. 

* * * 

John  Fee  has,  for  quite  some  time, 
urged  that  Mark  Hellinger’s  short 
stories  would  make  the  basis  of  a good 
program.  I hope  the  new  Old  Gold 
show  will  reward  John  with  frequent 
roles  in  the  Hellinger  dramatizations. 
He  is  a good,  experienced,  intelligent 
actor. 

* * * 

To  M.  A.:  You  are  wrong.  I do 

not  dislike  John  Conte.  On  the  con- 
trary, along  with  hundreds  of  other 
radio  and  semi-radio  people,  I think  he 
is  one  of  the  grandest  persons  in  the 
business.  I just  think  he  is  heard  on 

too  many  programs  for  his  own  good. 

* * * 

Leith  Stevens,  musical  director  for 
Big  Town,  has  been  given  the  baton  to 
direct  the  Ford  Summer  Hour.  Stevens 
is  one  of  radio’s  finest  conductors,  spon- 
sored or  for  fun. 

5fc  5{C  Jjc 

Congratulations  to  Irving  Parker  for 
good  sense  in  handling  his  clients'  pub- 
licity. His  copy  is  always  welcome  on 
this  desk. 


ir  Another  famous  American  legend 
will  reach  the  screen  with  the  filming  of 
Washington  Irving’s  Legend  of  Sleepy 
Hollow,  announced  for  production  by 
Edward  Small. 


HOLLYWOOD  DOG 
TRAINING  SCHOOL 


Carl  Spitz,  Owner 
Fritz  Bache,  Manager 


Phone  12350  Riverside  Drive 

North  Holly.  1262  No.  Hollywood,  Calif. 


MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  THIRTEEN 


£cckA  an4  JilftiA  [NA  ROBERTS 


The  "Shun"  Out  of  Education 

<J  One  of  the  good  things  about  book- 
film  cooperation  is  that,  for  busy  peo- 
ple, it  can  "take  the  shun  out  of  edu- 
cation." Seeing  films  keeps  one  in  touch 
with  an  important  phase  of  current 
events;  reading  books  connecting  with 
films  not  only  does  this;  it  also  adds, 
without  effort,  to  education,  to  a knowl- 
edge of  the  past.  It  adds  to  background; 
it  can  also  provide  a background  where 
none  was  before.  Now  a background 
is  not  necessarily  highbrow;  it  is  mere- 
ly a rich  accumulation  of  bits  of  infor- 
mation that  serve  to  illumine  one's  read- 
ing. Who  will  deny  that  allusions  add 
greatly  to  the  delight  of  books.  I well 
remember,  when  typing  parts  for  the 
Hecht  - MacArthur  play,  The  Front 
Page,  coming  across  the  following  de- 
scription of  a character's  manner  in  a 
certain  crisis;  "with  the  air  of  a man 
carrying  a message  to  Garcia." 

Parents  should  be  especially  grateful 
to  films  for  their  inspiration  to  young 
people  toward  good  reading.  What 
boy,  for  instance,  having  seen  Young 
Tom  Edison,  could  fail  to  enjoy  the 
subsequent  reading  of  The  Boy's  Life 
of  Edison,  by  Meadowcroft ; Edison: 
His  Life,  Work  and  Genius,  by  Si- 
monds;  48  Million  Horses,  by  Neill, 
and  How  They  Blazed  the  Way.  by 
McSpadden  ? 

No  parent  should  miss  reading  My 
Son,  My  Son!,  the  novel  by  Spring  nor 
the  film  made  from  it.  Its  lesson  to 
parents  is  poignant,  compelling.  Con- 
necting books  are  Sorrell  and  Son,  by 
Deeping;  Fortitude,  by  Walpole;  State 
Fair,  by  Stong;  The  Golden  Cord,  by 
Deeping;  So  Big,  by  Ferber:  Father  and 
Son,  by  McEvoy,  and  Getting  Ready  to 
be  a Father,  by  Corbin.  You  will  be  a 
better  parent  for  having  read  these  books 
and  perhaps  be  spared,  in  later  years, 
an  anguish  of  regret. 

Florian  offers  a wealth  of  connecting 
books  to  those  who  love  horses  or  bal- 
let, in  addition  to  its  historical  appeal. 
There  is  the  book  from  which  the  film 
was  made,  Florian,  by  Salten:  also  Sal- 
ten’s  other  books.  There  is  that  old 
favorite,  Black  Beauty,  by  Sewell,  for 
which  a new  generation  is  always  ready; 
there  are  Animal  Heroes,  by  Seton ; Ben 
the  Battle  Horse,  by  Dyer;  The  Sorrel 
Stallion,  by  Grew,  and  for  the  children 
from  six  to  eight  years,  Blaze  and  the 
Forest  Fire,  by  Anderson.  The  ballet 
angle  of  the  film  suggests  many  books, 
of  which  I will  mention  one — Foot- 
notes to  the  Ballet,  assembled  by  Caryl 
Brahms. 

I am  indebted  to  Miss  Jean  Sexton, 
of  the  Cleveland  Public  Library,  for 


the  following  suggested  reading  in  con- 
nection with  Northwest  Passage:  North- 
west Passage,  by  Roberts;  The  Black 
Hunter  and  The  Plains  of  Abraham, 
by  Curwood;  Next  to  Valour,  by  Jen- 
nings; Black  Forest  ( Minnigerode) , 
The  Cold  Journey  (Stone),  Journal  of 
Robert  Rogers  (reprinted  from  Bulletin 
of  the  New  York  Public  Library),  and 
The  Red  Road,  by  Pendexter. 

Travel  Via  Feature  Film 

<J  Nowadays  you  may  see  in  feature 
films  reproductions  of  a lot  of  famous 
spots  here  and  there. 

For  Pride  and  Prejudice,  many  scenes 
were  filmed  in  the  famous  $1,000,000 
Busch  Gardens  in  Pasadena. 

In  Personal  History,  retitled  Foreign 
Correspondent , you  may  view  a repro- 
duction of  the  train  sheds  of  London’s 
Waterloo  railway  station  with,  for 
good  measure,  500  players  dressed  in 
English  summer  clothes. 

CURRENT  FILMS 

And  It  All  Came  True — Story  by  Louis 
Bromfield;  George  Raft.  Ann  Sheridan, 
Humphrey  Bogart,  Jeffrey  Lynn.  Warner 

Angel  from  Texas — Comedy;  Eddie  Al- 
bert, Ronald  Reagan.  Warner 

The  Bluebird — Play  by  Maurice  Maeter- 
linck; technicolor;  Shirley  Temple;  re- 
leased 3-22.  20th-Fox 

Dark  Command — Novel  by  W.  R.  Bur- 
nett; Walter  Pidgeon,  Claire  Trevor, 

John  Wayne.  Repub. 

French  'Without  Tears — Play  by  Terrence 

Rattigan;  released  4-1.  Para. 

Florian — Novel  by  Felix  Salten;  Robert 

Young.  MGM 

Forty  Little  Mothers — Novel  by  Edward 
Fadiman;  Eddie  Canton,  Rita  John- 
son, Bonita  Granville.  MGM 

Gone  With  the  Wind — Novel  by  Mar- 
garet Mitchell;  Leslie  Howard,  Vivien 
Leigh,  Clark  Gable,  Olivia  de  Havil- 
land.  MGM 

Grapes  of  Wrath — Novel  by  John  Stein- 
beck: Henry  Fonda.  Jane  Darwell, 

Doris  Bondon.  Zeffie  Tilbury,  Charlie 
Grapewin;  released  2-2.  20th-Fox 

House  of  the  Seven  Gables — Novel  by 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne.  Univ. 

I Married  Adventure — Filmed  in  Africa; 

Mrs.  Osa  Martin;  released  1-27.  Col. 

Irene — Musical  comedy  hit;  screen  play 
by  Alice  Duer  Miller;  Anna  Neagle, 

Ray  Milland;  released  4-5.  RKO 

My  Son.  My  Son!-— Novel  by  Howard 
Spring;  Brian  Aherne,  Louise  Hay- 
ward; released  3-22.  U.A. 

Northwest  Passage  — Novel  by  Kenneth 
Roberts;  Spencer  Tracy,  Wallace  Beery, 

Robert  Taylor.  MGM 

Pinocchio — Juvenile  by  C.  Collodi;  fea- 
ture cartoon;  Walt  Disney.  RKO 

Primrose  Path — Based  on  novel,  Febru- 
ary Hill,  by  Victoria  Lincoln;  Ginger 
Rogers,  Joel  McCrea;  released  3-23.  RKO 
Too  Many  Husbands — Play  by  Somerset 
Maugham;  Melvyn  Douglas.  Jean  Aus- 
tin. Col. 

Virginia  City — Technicolor;  Errol  Flynn, 

Brenda  Marshall,  Frank  McHugh.  Warner 


We  Shall  Meet  Again  — George  Brent, 

Merle  Oberon,  Gene  Lockhart.  Warner 

Young  Tom  Edison  — Mickey  Rooney, 

Virginia  Weidler,  Victor  Killian.  MGM 

COMING  FILMS 

Abe  Lincoln  in  Illinois — Play  by  Robert 
Sherwood:  Raymond  Massey,  Gene 


Lockhart.  RKO 

Alias  the  Deacon  — Bob  Burns.  Peggy 

Moran.  Univ. 

And  So  Goodbye — Story  by  Mildred  Cram 
and  Adele  Commandini;  Jean  Parker, 

Chas.  Winninger,  Harry  Carey,  C.  Au- 
brey Smith,  Maria  Ouspenskaya.  RKO 

Andy  Hardy  Meets  a Debutant — Hardy 

Family.  MGM 

Ann  of  Windy  Poplars — Girls’  story  by 

L.  M.  Montgomery.  RKO 

Bill  of  Divorcement — Play  by  Clemence 
Dane;  Maureen  O'Hara,  Adolphe  Men- 
jou.  Fay  Bainter.  RKO 

Edison  the  Man — Spencer  Tracy.  MGM 

The  Ghost  Breaker — Play  by  Paul  Dickey 
and  Chas.  Stoddard;  Bob  Hope,  Paul- 
ette Goddard.  Para. 

Pride  and  Prejudice  — Novel  by  Jane 
Austen;  Greer  Garson,  Laurence  Oli- 
vier, Maureen  O’Sullivan,  Heather 
Angel,  Ann  Rutherford.  MGM 

Safari — Madeleine  Carroll.  Douglas  Fair- 
banks. Jr.:  released  6-14. 

Story  of  Lillian  Russell — Alice  Faye,  Ed- 
ward Arnold,  Weber  and  Fields,  Eddie 


Foy,  Jr.  20th-Fox 

Susan  and  God — Play  by  Rachael  Croth- 
ers;  Fredric  March,  Joan  Crawford. 
Virginia  Weidler.  MGM 

Those  Were  the  Days — Formerly  At  Good 

Old  Siwash-,  novel  by  George  Fitch.  Para. 
Turnabout — Novel  by  Thorne  Smith.  U.A. 
Twenty  Mule  Team — Locale,  Death  Val- 
ley; California  borax  mines;  Wallace 
Beery,  Leo  Carrillo,  Noah  Beery,  Jr.  MGM 
Waterloo  Bridge — Play  by  Robert  Sher- 
wood: Vivien  Leigh,  Robert  Taylor, 

Maria  Ouspenskaya,  Virginia  Field.  MGM 
Way  of  All  Flesh — Novel  by  Samuel  But- 
ler; Fritz  Leiber,  Muriel  Angeles,  Ber- 
ton  Churchill;  released  5-31.  Para. 


GLadstone  41  I I 


PAGE  FOURTEEN 


HOLLYWOOD  SPECTATOR 


PRODUCTION 

All  This  and  ti.acen  Too — Novel  by  Ra- 
chael FielJ:  Bette  Davis.  Warner 

Arizona — Novel  by  C.  B.  Kelland;  tech- 
nicolor. Col. 

Boom  Toitn — Famous  Panhandle  oil  dis- 
covery, Texas:  Spencer  Tracy,  Clark 
Gable,  Hedy  Lamarr.  MGM 

Brigham  Young — Based  on  Children  of 
God.  by  Vardis  Fisher:  screen  play 
by  Louis  Bromfield:  Tyrone  Power, 

Linda  Darnell.  20th-Fox 

Busman's  Honeymoon — Novel  by  Dor- 
othy Sayers;  filming  in  England:  Rob- 
ert Montgomery.  MGM 

Destiny — Story  by  Hecht  and  MacArthur; 

Basil  Rathbone,  John  Howard.  Para. 

Foreign  Correspondent  — ■ Formerly  Per- 
sonal History,  based  on  book  by  Vin- 
cent Sheean:  Joel  McCrea,  Laraine 

Day.  U.A. 

Life  of  Knute  Rockne  — Pat  O'Brien, 

Ronald  Reagan.  Warner 

Long  Voyage  Home — Play  by  Eugene 
O’Neill ; John  Wayne.  Thomas  Mit- 
chell. U.A. 

Lucky  Partners — Based  on  play  Bonne 

Chance,  by  Sacha  Guitry.  RKO 

Maryland  — Early  days;  Brenda  Joyce, 

Walter  Brennan.  Fay  Bainter:  Techni- 
color. 20th-Fox 

Maryland — Semi-historical:  early  days; 

Brenda  Joyce.  Walter  Brennan;  tech- 
nicolor. 20th-Fox 

Mortal  Storm  — Novel  by  Phyllis  Bot- 
tome;  Nazi  Germany;  Margaret  Sulla- 
van,  James  Stewart,  Frank  Morgan. 

Robert  Young.  Judith  Anderson,  Bonita 
Granville.  MGM 

Northwest  Mounted  Police — Gary  Coop- 
er, Madeleine  Carroll.  Para. 


Old  Lady  31 — Play  by  Beulah  Bondi; 

Charles  Coburn.  MGM 

On  Their  Own — Jones  Family.  20th-Fox 

One  of  the  Boston  Bullertons — Features 
celebration  of  Puritans'  Founders’  Day; 

Nancy  Kelly,  Robert  Cummings.  Univ. 

Our  Town  — Pulitzer  Prize  play  by 
Thornton  Wilder;  Thomas  Mitchell, 

Fay  Bainter.  U.A. 

Sea  Hawk  — Novel  by  Sabatini;  Errol 

Flynn.  Warner 

South  of  Pago  Pago — Jon  Hall,  Frances 

Farmer,  Gene  Lockhart.  U.A. 

Strike  Up  the  Band — -Judy  Garland. 

Mickey  Rooney.  MGM 

Tom  Brown’s  School  Days — Story  by 
Thos.  Hughes;  Sir  Cedric  Hardwick, 

Freddie  Bartholomew.  RKO 

To  Own  the  World — Financial  struggle 
of  young  couple  to  maintain  home: 

Lew  Ayres,  Lana  Turner.  MGM 

Torrid  Zone — Banana  industry  in  South 

America;  George  Raft,  Ann  Sheridan.  Warner 
Young  People — Shirley  Temple.  20th-Fox 

★ * ★ 

★ A star  of  yesteryear  will  shine  again 
when  Bing  Crosby’s  new  film,  If  I Had 
My  Way,  is  placed  on  view,  the  erst- 
while star,  Blanche  Ring,  toast  of  two 
continents  shortly  after  the  turn  of  the 
century.  She  will  do  two  song  num- 
bers, one  of  which  will  be  Rings  On 
My  Fingers  and  Bells  On  My  Toes 
which  she  made  famous  and  which  is 
still  a prominent  tune  in  our  musical 
lore. 


★ Most  remakes  these  days  are  heavily 
embroidered  with  new  story  material, 
but  Warner  Brothers  has  scheduled  a 
remake  in  which  practically  everything 
will  be  new  but  the  title — Disraeli.  The 
present  picture  will  deal^witT’an  earlier 
I period  of  the  statesman’s  life  than  was 
dealt  with  in  the  George  Arliss  film 
of  a few  years  back,  which,  it  will  be 
recalled,  did  exceedingly  well  at  the  box- 
office. 

T T T 

A Ben  Hecht  is  film  producing  again, 
having  acquired  the  wherewithal  and 
launched  a unit  in  the  East. 


PAMPHLETS 

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AN  IDEAL 

BIRTHDAY  OR 
ANNIVERSARY  PRESENT 
DESIGNS  MADE  TO  ORDER  BY 


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FOR  YOUR 
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Hollywood  Spectator 
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Please  enter  my  subscription  for  — 

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MAY  1,  1940 


PAGE  FIFTEEN 


: ■ ' 1 


. 


Scanned  from  the  collection  of 
Karl  Thiede 


Coordinated  by  the 

Media  History  Digital  Library 
www.mediahistoryproject.org 


Funded  by  a donation  from 
The  Libraries  of  Northwestern  University  and 
Northwestern  University  in  Qatar 


Hollywood’s  Oldest 
Film  Publication  \ 

Has  Another  Birthday  Coming  Up! 


The  next  issue  will  be  the 
Fourteenth  Birthday  Number 
of  the  Hollywood  Spectator. 

Birthday  presents  in  the  form 
of  orders  for  advertising 
space  will  permit  it  to 
continue  to  feel  young  and 
vigorous  — and  will  make  it 
most  grateful. 

Birthday  presents  can  be 
delivered  by  telephone 
GLadstone  5213